In My Heart
by HowCouldThisHappenToMe
Summary: Toshiro Hitsugaya... is dead. Now, a young child has been born, bearing a stricking resemblence to the late captain. What is in store for this ten-year-old boy, and his older sister? DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**Another story! Boo-yah! This one is a Bleach fanfic, as you have probably seen. I've been working on this one for a while and have been having a lot of fun writing it. This is one of my first times writing with an OLDER sibling. Normally, my characters are a younger sibling to someone... Weird, because you'd think I'd have more experience writing with an older sibling, seeing as I _am_ one. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any characters from it. They belong to Tite Kubo. I only own Minako Kitamura and any OCs added into the mix.**

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Horror.

That one word could describe the faces of the surrounding Soul Reapers when it happened. A small figure wearing a white captain's haori fell from the sky, blood quickly replacing the color of purity. Red streaks ran through the white hair of the young captain as his eyes remained wide. No breath was taken by the captain, nor could his allies move. Time seemed to stop as he hit the harsh cement ground of the false Karakura Town. The killer smirked and sheathed his zanpakuto as he watched the young man fall.

The hole in his chest, the slit in his throat; it all added up to one grim conclusion…

"_Captain!_"

…Toshiro Hitsugaya was dead.

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_Nine months later…_

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I stared down at the infant in my mother's arms, my dark brown eyes wide in awe. The delicate child she held was beautiful. What shocked me the most about my newborn brother were the feather-like strands of snowy hair that were matted against his head. The doctors said albinism was the most likely cause for that. We'd have to be careful with the baby, and make sure we protected him from overexposure to the sun. They also said he may have vision problems as he grew. None of that mattered to me, though. He was my brother, the only one I'd had. In my eyes, he was perfect.

"Toshiro Kitamura," I murmured, gently placing my hand on his head. He shifted slightly and a small smile crossed my features. After sixteen years, I had a sibling.

"Minako, do you want to hold him?" my mother asked.

I nodded, grinning, and my brother was passed into my arms. I sat in a chair next to the hospital bed as I watched little Toshiro move. He was sleeping, curled into a little ball. I kissed his forehead, knowing it would be my job to help take care of him, something I was more than willing to do for the infant I held. It wasn't long before my mother fell asleep, clearly exhausted from the birthing process, and my father left the room briefly to call a few family friends.

"I'll always protect you, Toshiro. I promise," I whispered as I placed my index finger in his tiny, yet firm, grasp.

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** I hope you enjoyed reading the prologue. Please R&R.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's the first REAL chapter of this story. Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. I only get my OCs. I also do not own the poem you are about to read.**

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_Little Eyes Upon You_

There are little eyes upon you  
and they're watching night and day.  
There are little ears that quickly  
take in every word you say.  
There are little hands all eager  
to do anything you do;  
And a little boy who's dreaming  
of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's idol,  
you're the wisest of the wise.  
In his little mind about you  
no suspicions ever rise.  
He believes in you devoutly,  
holds all you say and do;  
He will say and do, in your way  
when he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow  
who believes you're always right;  
and his eyes are always opened,  
and he watches day and night.  
You are setting an example  
every day in all you do;  
For the little boy who's waiting  
to grow up to be like you

-- Author Unknown

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A ten-year-old boy with snowy hair ran across a patch of thin grass, quickly pulling himself onto the lowest branch of the nearest tree. His eyes were bright with excitement as he used his thin, wiry arms to pull himself higher into the branches. It wasn't long before only his hair left him easily found within the leaves. The sun was slowly setting, leaving a pink tinge in the sky.

"Shiro-chan, it's getting late. Come inside," I called from the front door of our home.

"But Mina-chan," my younger brother complained, his voice drawing out the suffix, as he climbed down from the tree.

"Don't whine, Toshiro. It doesn't suit you."

It had been ten years since my brother's birth. In those ten years, I learned more about Toshiro than most people could ever understand. When he was born, the doctors had told us he was albinistic. Over the years, though, he'd never displayed any such symptoms. He had perfect vision and eyes that were the most beautiful shade of teal I'd ever seen. I knew there was a rare case of albinism that affected only the eyes, but there wasn't a form that only affected hair color.

"Mina-chan, can I have a watermelon?" Toshiro asked, opening the door to the refrigerator. I chuckled softly and ruffled his messy white hair. My brother had quite the appetite and his favorite snack was watermelon. I pulled one out of the fridge and cut a few slices for him.

"There you go, Shiro-chan." I smiled softly as Toshiro ate. He was a normal little boy, if a bit mature for his age. He'd been through much as a child, including the deaths of our parents when he was four years old. I could still remember how he'd come to me every night for a month after the accident.

_I was awoken in the middle of the night by the feeling of a small bundle pressing against my torso. The figure was trembling and I could hear soft sobs. I groggily opened my eyes to see a mass of white hair just below my line of vision._

"_Shiro-chan?" I whispered sleepily. "What's wrong, Nii-chan?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes and taking gasping breaths. I propped myself up on one elbow and rubbed the sleep from my eyes._

"_I saw 'em," Toshiro cried. My brows furrowed in confusion as I stared at the four-year-old. Sitting up fully, I placed a hand on his tiny shoulder. It pained me to see him so upset._

"_Saw who?"_

"_Kaa-chan and Tou-chan." My eyes widened and I felt a piece of my heart break as tears sprang to my eyes. I pulled Toshiro close and let him cry on my shoulder while my own tears fell into his hair._

"_It's okay, Shiro-chan," I whispered as I laid back down. I rubbed his back soothingly and watched as he slowly drifted off to sleep._

At the time, I had thought he had a nightmare. Looking back, I realized Toshiro probably _did_ see our parents that night. He'd always been a special child, having so many imaginary friends that would leave his mind suddenly, only to be replaced by a new one. For a while, I feared for his mental health. Then, little by little, I'd been able to see his 'friends' as well. They had been hazy at first, but slowly became more distinct. One thing was similar with each of them, though. They all had a chain in their chest. It wasn't long before I had come across adults with these chains. From them, I learned that my brother, Toshiro Kitamura, had been able to see spirits and that I had somehow developed the ability as well.

"Can we go to the playground tomorrow, Nee-chan?" Toshiro asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Sure. Tomorrow's my day off. Now, off to bed." My brother nodded with a grin and put his plate in the sink before running down the hallway. Minutes later, I could hear the water running as Toshiro cleaned up before going to bed.

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**Sorry this chapter was so short. I promise they'll get longer as the story goes on.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Action in this chapter! Yay!**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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The next day, Toshiro and I walked to the nearby park. It was a bright, sunny day with only a few clouds in the sky. The weather was perfect. When we arrived, Toshiro immediately ran towards the jungle gym and climbed into it while I sat on a park bench. A smile broke across my features as I watched him weave in and out of the different parts. After a few minutes, I could see him running along side another little boy. He had short brown hair, dark eyes and soft features. As they both went down the slide, a child could be seen on the other boy's chest.

"Come on, Daisuke," Toshiro called as he ran to another part of the playground.

"Don't go too far, Shiro-chan," I said with a smile. I'd never told Toshiro about my ability to see his ghostly friends, nor had he told me of his. I figured it was best for the time being.

"I won't!"

He and Daisuke ran over to the monkey bars and began climbing into them. Their laughter echoed through the air and I found myself grinning at their antics. Toshiro had always be a very active child, as well as limber. After about twenty minutes, Daisuke stopped moving in his tracks. He screamed loudly and stumbled backwards, causing me to jump off the bench I'd been sitting on. If something frightened a spirit, it couldn't be good. I was proven correct when I heard a shattering roar cry out, rattling my body.

"Toshiro, run!" Daisuke yelled, pushing my brother towards me. I quickly reach him and wrapped my arms around him. He was trembling in fear.

"M-Mina-chan," he whispered, clutching my shirt.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to look him over.

"Run away! The monster will kill you!" Daisuke screamed, panic in his eyes.

Another roar came and a large beast leaped out of the trees, landing on the child spirit. Before anything could be done, Daisuke was devoured by the demon. My eyes widened in shock and fear as I stared at the disgusting creature. I could feel my stomach churning as Daisuke disappeared into its mouth. The beast was almost as tall as the trees and had a black body with a strange porcelain mask. Stranger still was the hole in the beast's chest that seemed to have no affect on its health. It walked on all fours.

"What _is_ that thing?" I whispered, my eyes still wide as my arms tightened around Toshiro. The creature roared once again and its beady, yellow eyes focused on my brother and me. As quickly as I could, I stood and whirled around, shoving Toshiro away from the beast.

"Mina-chan!" he screamed as he turned back around to see me. Just as he did, the black creature leapt on top of me and bit down on my right shoulder, causing pain to rip through the area. I screamed in agony as my blood poured from the wound and I was pressed under the weight of the beast.

"Toshiro, run away!" My brother shook his head, his teal eyes filled with tears. "Go!" My body trembled from the pain, but the monster jerked its head, tossing me forward. I landed on the ground, only a few feet in front of my brother.

"Nee-chan!" He dropped to his knees beside me, sobbing. The beast roared once again and I shakily forced myself off the ground. I pulled Toshiro close, holding him tightly.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Shiro-chan," I whispered, tears falling from my eyes.

Toshiro buried his head into my shoulder, causing my blood to stain his snowy hair. I heard the creature leap into the air and an overwhelming fear coursed through my veins as I squeezed my eyes shut. Seconds later, rather than feeling the weight of the beast, I heard a loud crash as it landed even farther away. My body began trembling even more, now from sudden fatigue, and I could feel myself slipping out of consciousness. I looked down to see Toshiro still safe and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Someone, call an ambulance!" a male voice yelled and I noticed it sounded vaguely familiar. Before I had a chance to dwell on it, though, my body fell forward and I blacked out.

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**Yes, they were attacked already. BUT! What happens next is not what most people do, that I've seen at least. You'll see. :D Please R&R.**


	4. Chapter 3

****

Here it is. :D

**Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Tite Kubo. I only own Minako Kitamura.**

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When I finally awoke, I felt disoriented and slightly nauseous, my head feeling heavier than usual. I could hear a faint beeping and could see bright lights through my eyelids. Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself inside a stark hospital room. The beeping came from my heart monitor and my right shoulder had a dull, throbbing pain. I turned my head to the right to see Toshiro asleep with his head next to my hand on the bed. Gently shaking his shoulder, I roused him from his sleep and he greeted me with a smile.

"Are you okay, Mina-chan?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. I smiled softly and ruffled his hair with my hand, which had an IV in it. Moving my left arm sent a wave of sharp pain up my arm and I resisted the urge to flinch by biting my lower lip.

"I'll be fine. Are you hurt at all?" I asked, looking him over. His hair still had my blood crusted in it, something I'd have to wash our later, and he had a couple band-aids on his cheek.

"Just a couple scratches."

"What happened back there, at the park?"

"A huge monster attacked us an' you got hurt real bad. Then, all of a sudden, the monster flew backwards and you fell on top of me. Mr. Ishida helped you while someone called the ambulance."

My eyes narrowed slightly in thought as I realized who the voice from before was. Uryuu Ishida, a man who interned at a local fashion store, must have been passing through when that… _thing_ attacked. Mentally storing this information for later, I focused my attention on my little brother, who was forcing back tears.

"Come up here," I whispered gently, moving my arm out of the way. More pain raced through my veins. Toshiro climbed onto the hospital bed and I pulled him closer. "You're very brave, Shiro-chan."

"You got hurt 'cause of me," he answered sullenly.

"No. I'm hurt because of that monster. You did nothing wrong."

I gently rubbed his back in a soothing manner as the door opened, revealing a nurse with short, black hair and soft eyes. She was flipping through the pages on a clipboard as she entered the room. When she looked up, a small smile formed on her lips.

"It's good to see you're awake, Miss Kitamura. How are you feeling?" she asked. Toshiro sat up straight and stared at her.

"Much better than I was before," I answered with a smile.

"And how does your shoulder feel?" I glanced down at my brother with a soft sigh. There was no use worrying him.

"Shiro-chan, why don't you go get a snack? My purse is right behind you." Toshiro nodded and slid off the bed. After getting enough money for the vending machine, he left the room, shutting the door behind him. I turned back to the nurse. "I don't want him to worry about me."

"Of course. So, how _is_ your shoulder?"

"Exceedingly painful if I try to move it. Honestly, just hugging my brother is hard to do. I'm just putting on a brave face for him."

"On a scale of one to ten, how painful is it?" the nurse asked.

"I'd say a nine. How does it look under the bandages?"

"You have multiple stitches along your shoulder, but they look as though the wounds were bitten in. Were you attacked?" I frowned slightly. I couldn't tell her what I'd seen. She'd likely think I was insane. I placed my left hand on my forehead, feigning thought.

"I'm not sure. I can't really remember."

"It's alright. You're very lucky, you know. Someone must be watching over you."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"You lost a lot of blood. A young man was able to tend to your wounds until the paramedics arrived, and that greatly improved your chances. In fact, you may be able to go home today, if the doctor deems you fit to leave," the nurse explained and I nodded.

Toshiro reentered the room at that moment with a water bottle and a bag of pretzels in his hands. The nurse stared at him incredulously for a moment and I couldn't help but chuckle. She'd probably expected him to get a lot of candy. I moved my arm for Toshiro, biting my lip to suppress another wince, and he sat beside me again.

"Do you want some, Mina-chan?" he asked.

"Maybe later, but thank you," I answered softly.

"We'll get you some pain killers for your shoulder and I'm sure you'll be prescribed something when you're released," the nurse said, jotting down a few notes on her clipboard. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call." With that, the woman left the room and I leaned further into the pillow behind my head.

"Nee-chan, are you okay?" Toshiro asked again. I chuckled quietly and used my left hand to ruffle his hair.

"I'm going to be perfectly fine, Shiro-chan," I answered with a smile.

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**That's right. She didn't wake up and get the run-down of what happened from Ichigo or his pals! I see a lot of those whenever I find an OC fic and, frankly, I got kinda sick of it. So, I decided to be different. ;D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Here, you get to see what Minako does for a living. Yes, I've given her a normal job.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. I only have Minako.**

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"How should _I_ know if I'm doing the right thing?" one of my clients, a sixteen-year-old girl named Ayame, demanded. She was one of the teenagers I worked with as a consoler.

"Well, what goes through your mind when he pressures you?" I asked, jotting quick notes in my invented shorthand. Ayame hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. She squeezed her hands together between her knees and averted her gaze.

"It… It makes me think of when my uncle…" Her voice trailed of and I nodded in understanding. I leaned forward and rested my hand on her knee, causing her to look into my eyes.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Ayame. This is your body." A few tears welled into her emerald eyes and she quickly brushed them away.

"I know, but what if Kaito threatens to leave?"

"Do you want him to use your for sex?"

"No."

"Then, if he really cares about you, he'll respect your wishes," I answered firmly, but with a caring tone in my voice. Ayame nodded slowly, sniffing as she rubbed her eyes again.

"Thanks, Minako," she whispered, still thinking over what I'd said.

She glanced at the clock before reaching for her purse. Her session was over, as was my work day. It had only been a day since the attack, but I'd been able to return to work. As I placed my notes in Ayame's file in my office, I heard one of my coworkers near the room. There was a light knock on the doorframe and I turned around to see Toboe Hamato.

"You know, I think that was the first time Ayame left here with the faintest of smiles," he said, taking a few steps into the room. "You really have a way with them. Remember Tsume?"

"Yeah. I worked with him for a while last year. He was one of my first clients," I answered.

"I saw him the other day. He says you turned his life around." I could feel a blush creeping to my face.

"You have a gift Minako. You also have a visitor." My brows furrowed as I ran through my mental list of clients. No one else was scheduled that day.

"Who?" I asked.

"I didn't catch his name. He's out at the front desk," Toboe answered.

I nodded and grabbed my bags before heading out to meet my visitor. When I came to the front desk, I found a man about my age waiting. He had short, clean-cut black hair and the reflection of light on his glasses hid his eyes. The man had sharp facial features and well-toned muscles on his arms, which were revealed by his short-sleeved, white shirt. I knew him as Uryuu Ishida.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ishida. Can I help you with anything?" I asked, shaking his hand in greeting.

"I wanted to see if you were doing well after the incident yesterday," he answered.

"I'm fine. I can't thank you enough for helping my brother and me."

"I was merely in the right place at the right time. Anyone would've done the same."

"Still, I want to do something to repay you. Would you and your girlfriend join us for dinner this evening?" I offered. I'd seen Uryuu's girlfriend once or twice before in the store he worked. She was a pretty woman with long, strawberry blond hair.

"That really isn't necessary."

"Please? I insist."

"You're very adamant about this, aren't you, Miss Kitamura?"

"It's the least I can do to repay you," I answered. Uryuu sighed softly with a nod.

"Very well. We'll come." I grabbed a piece of paper from my desk and wrote my address on it before handing it to him.

"You can come at six. Thank you again, Mr. Ishida."

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That evening, Toshiro was in the kitchen with me, helping me prepare dinner. I placed the sesame chicken in the oven while my brother tossed the salad in a bowl.

"How was your day," Shiro-chan?" I asked, taking off my oven mitts.

"Good. Miss Nakashima took us to the playground near her house," my brother answered with a smile. Yori Nakashima was the babysitter Toshiro went to while I was working. She had something of a daycare service going on and she watched a group of about five or six children.

"Did you have fun?" Toshiro shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really. I didn't want to play there."

"Why not?"

"I was afraid that monster would come back," he mumbled, staring down at the counter. My eyes softened as I placed my hand on Toshiro's shoulder, pulling him into a loose hug.

"You don't need to be afraid, Shiro-chan. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," I whispered gently, kissing his forehead. The doorbell rang and I ran to answer it. Standing at the door were Uryuu and his girlfriend.

"Good evening, Miss Kitamura," Uryuu greeted, nodding his head.

"Hello. Come in and make yourselves at home. And, please, just call me Minako."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Minako. I'm Orihime Inoue," the strawberry blond answered. She and Uryuu entered the house, slipping off their shoes, and I showed them to the living room.

"Pleasure to meet you, Orihime," I said with a smile. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Uryuu-kun told me you have a younger brother. Where is he?"

"In the kitchen." I walked to the entryway of the kitchen, where I found Toshiro sitting at the stool by the counter. "Shiro-chan, don't be rude. Say hello to our guests." My brother hopped off the stool and walked with me into the living room. When Orihime saw him, her eyes widened.

"Your brother is so cute!" she exclaimed. I chuckled softly and ruffled his hair.

"This is Mr. Ishida and Miss Inoue." Toshiro nodded and bowed slightly.

"My name is Toshiro Kitamura. Nice to meet you," he greeted.

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**Some cute stuff, you know? Plus, this chapter is a 'leading-up' kind of thing. :D Please R&R.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sadly, this is a shorter chapter, but it's told in an alternate POV, so it gives more information for you, the reader. Enjoy!**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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The gathering in Kisuke Urahara's shop was much like every week. They would all give their status reports on the weeks' events, usually with Ichigo having the most to say. Being a Substitute Soul Reaper working for Urahara put him in a position to encounter more Hollows than his friends. Urahara sat at the head of the table, Ichigo across from him. Uryuu and Orihime were seated together on one side while Chad was opposite them. Rukia was on-duty in the Soul Society.

"It looks like this week was pretty tame. Only a couple Hollows," Kisuke said, his arms folded in front of his chest.

"That's the problem," Ichigo answered. "It's been ten years. Don't you think Aizen would've come back by now? I keep expecting him to show up at any second with an army of Arrancar."

"You never know. He'd been planning this over a hundred years ago. What's another ten?"

"We can't keep waiting around for him to attack!"

"And what do you propose we do, Ichigo?" Uryuu demanded sharply. "Go back to Hueco Mundo after it worked _so_ well last time? We were lucky to make it out of there alive!"

"We're sitting ducks here!"

"Both of you need to calm down," Kisuke interrupted. "We're nowhere near ready to take on Aizen and his team again. We're all preparing for his next appearance, both here and in Seireitei. The only thing we _can_ do right now is wait."

"Uryuu," Chad said, finally speaking since giving his short report. "You said you saved a couple civilians from a Hollow. Do they know what happened?" Uryuu shook his head with a sigh.

"I can't be sure, but I don't believe so. Urahara, I've been meaning to ask you something," he said. The store keeper looked his way.

"And what's that?" he asked.

"What happens to Soul Reapers when they are killed?"

"Since Soul Reapers are technically dead, they are reborn into the Living World after they 'die' as spirits. It's a never-ending cycle."

"Do they look the same as they did in the Soul Society?"

"No. Typically, their appearance changes to match up to the family they're born into. Why do you ask?"

"I have a hunch," Uryuu answred.

"Care to share with the class?" Ichigo muttered.

"That boy I saved bears a striking resemblance to Captain Hitsugaya."

"I thought it _was_ him," Orihime added. "He even has the same first name."

"And he looks nothing like his older sister."

"And you think this kid is Toshiro's reincarnation?" Ichigo asked.

"It's a theory."

"Uryuu, how often do you see these two on a regular basis?" Urahara asked. "You mentioned knowing the sister before."

"I see Miss Kitamura every once in a while where I work."

"Keep and eye on her when you _do_ see her. See if anything strange happens around her."

"And if nothing does?"

"Then after a while, we can safely assume what happened the other day was just a coincidence."

"Coincidences don't usually happen with our group," Chad answered. A pregnant silence enveloped the room as its inhabitants let the words sink in. They all knew how true that statement was.

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**Please R&R.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Finally, some more action! Not just plain info anymore, but real substance! ...As you can see, I'm excited. I hate having little happen for too long because then I'm afraid it becomes boring... Hopefully it hasn't yet.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I only own Minako.**

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I watched as Toshiro put his arms out as far as they'd go, spinning himself in tight circles. The grin that spread across his face filled me with joy. I loved to see him so happy and carefree. It was a Saturday and it had been a little over a week since we'd been attacked by that strange, black creature. My smile faltered as I thought back to what happened, placing a hand on my hurt shoulder.

"Mina-chan," Toshiro called and I realized he'd stopped spinning. "Does your shoulder hurt?" I smiled softly and knelt down to kiss his forehead.

"Only a little, Shiro-chan," I answered. "Hold my hand as we go across."

I held out my hand and he grasped it lightly. Toshiro needed a new pair of sneakers and the store was nearby, so we were taking advantage of the warm weather. As we walked across the bridge, various people passed by; I could see a couple of spirits in the crowd as well. Toshiro didn't seem to notice them as he walked alongside me.

"Can we see Mr. Ishida and Miss Inoue again soon?" my brother asked, surprising me. I looked down at him with slight confusion. What had brought this on?

"Why do you ask?"

"They're really nice and I like them. Miss Inoue said I look like one of her friends. I didn't know anyone else around here had white hair. It's cool." I chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"We'll see, Shiro-chan. I might bring you with me the next time I go to where Mr. Ishida works."

Toshiro nodded with a smile and looked ahead once again. When he did, he stopped in his tracks with wide eyes. I stopped moving and followed his gaze, but saw nothing. The air around us felt heavy, though, and it was suddenly more difficult to breath. Whatever was coming was a threat.

"Mina-chan," Toshiro murmured, his grip around my hand tightening. I could practically sense his fear.

"Come on, Toshiro," I whispered and pulled him to the left.

I wasn't sure what was ahead of us, but I knew I wanted to avoid it. A low growl rumbled through the air, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. It sounded just like the creature that attacked us only a week prior. Without another thought, I lifted Toshiro into my arms and began running. My right shoulder screamed in pain at the sudden weight, but I didn't care. All that mattered to me was getting to safety.

Toshiro's legs were on either side of my torso as I ran with one arm under him for support and the other pressing on his back to hold him close. My racing heart pounded in my chest in time with my feet on the pavement. Toshiro's hands clenched around the fabric of my blouse, trembling in fear. He'd seen what that monster could do; I didn't want him to see that again.

"It would appear you can hear us, _querida_," a smooth, tenor voice said. I stopped running and glanced around in fear.

"Who's there?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone. Toshiro trembled in my arms.

"It's back," he whispered into my shoulder, "from my nightmares."

My mind immediately jumped to a few weeks before, when Toshiro had woken up screaming. My arms tightened around my brother as two figures came into view, seemingly from out of nowhere. One of them looked almost human, but it seemed like bone coated the entire left side of his face. His right hand was bony as well; sharpened to points at his fingertips. This man wore all white and had oddly soft facial features. The creature beside him looked nothing like the creature that attacked us before. This one looked like a monster of a serpent, again with a mask.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I demanded. The human-like figure chuckled darkly.

"I'm very surprised you can see us. You and that boy in your arms have very high spiritual pressure," he answered and my grip tightened around my brother even more.

"You didn't answer me."

"My name is unimportant to you, _querida_. You will not be of this world very soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, the snake-like monster attacked, striking as quickly as lightning. My heart stopped and I heard Toshiro scream. My eyes widened in shock and fear as a wall of ice formed in front of me, blocking us from the beast. The breath caught in my throat as I took a stumbling step back. I didn't do that. Toshiro pulled away from me and looked behind him at the icy barrier. The bone-coated man's eyes widened in shock. My brother then looked up at me, his eyes lowering as though tired. He suddenly went limp in my arms, his head falling on my chest.

"Toshiro!" I screamed, trying to wake him. He was completely unresponsive.

"That boy…"

"What did you do to him?!" I shook my brother's shoulder again. "Toshiro, wake up!" The snake-like creature reared back again, preparing for another attack.

"Hey!" a voice yelled from above.

I looked up to see a man with short, messy strawberry blond hair wearing a black outfit in a style that reminded me of feudal Japan. He was carrying a sword just as long as he was tall, and he was floating. Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder! The man dropped down from the sky, slicing straight through the giant serpent. A strange rift opened from thin air and the bone-coated man disappeared as the rift closed. The orange-haired man approached, stepping around the ice wall in front of me. I took a step back, holding Toshiro close.

"Who are _you_?" I asked.

"I'm a friend. I'm not going to hurt you," he answered.

"Who _are_ you?"

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm a friend of Uryuu Ishida." At those words, I relaxed slightly and turned my attention back to my brother.

"Shiro-chan, please wake up." Ichigo took another step towards me and I pulled back, bringing my brother close to myself.

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I'm sorry, but I'm just not sure what to believe right now. I've been attacked by two monsters, saw someone with an exoskeleton, watched a wall of ice appear out of nowhere and saw the only person who looks _normal_ float! I just want to know what's wrong with my brother!"

"He's asleep. Protecting you took a lot out of him."

"Protecting me?" I repeated. That was something I wasn't used to. Normally, _I_ was the one doing the protecting.

* * *

**Boo-yah! More abilities coming out! Sorry, I really enjoy Toshiro's manipulation of ice. I find it to be one of the coolest (no pun intended) abilities in the show. Please R&R.**


	8. Chapter 7

**She actually talks to Ichigo in this one! I'm having so much fun with this story.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

With much persuasion, Ichigo was able to convince me to follow him to an old candy shop in the middle of town. He pushed the door open, yelling for someone named Urahara. Toshiro was still asleep in my arms, which concerned me. I wanted to know he was okay.

"What are you yelling about now?" someone asked and I saw a man who looked exactly like Ichigo enter the room. I stared between them for a moment.

"Please tell me you have a twin," I murmured. Ichigo pulled something out of his pocket and pressed it against the other man's chest. This caused Ichigo to disappear into the man's body. It was all I could take to keep myself standing.

"Not exactly," Ichigo answered, pulling a small, blue pellet from his mouth.

"I… I'm not even going to ask."

"It's probably better that way for now. You might want to sit down and we can lay your brother down." I nodded shakily and followed Ichigo into the back room of the shop, where he pulled out a mat for Toshiro. I carefully set my brother down on the mat, brushing the hair out of his face.

"Thank you for helping us," I whispered, looking at Ichigo.

"Don't mention it. Hey, what's your name?"

"I'm Minako Kitamura. This is my brother, Toshiro."

"You and your brother are brave, taking those guys on."

"Who were they? Are there more like them?" I asked, suddenly very frightened. What would we do if more of those monsters came?

"Yeah, there are more of them," he answered with a sigh, rubbing the side of his head.

"Ichigo, why didn't you tell me you were bringing a guest? I would've cleaned up the shop more," someone said and I turned around to see another man. He was tall, blond and his eyes were hidden by the brim of his white and green striped hat. He wore loose clothes and his appearance, in all honesty, made me think he was on some kind of drug.

"Who are you?" I asked politely.

"I'm the owner of this shop and Ichigo's employer." I frowned at his answer. Could _nobody_ answer a simple question of identification?

"This is Kisuke Urahara," Ichigo supplied and I gave him a grateful smile. "Urahara, she's Minako, the one Uryuu told us about."

"So you're the woman who was attacked in the park last week. And am I to assume that boy is your brother?" the store keeper asked, looking down at Toshiro. I placed my hand on my brother's forehead.

"Yes. Do you know what's going on?"

"But, of course!" Kisuke moved to sit across from me. I couldn't help but suspect he was on crack or something similar to it. His expression suddenly went serious. "What's happening is a lot more serious than you may realize."

"We've been attacked twice and I was hospitalized the first time. Now my brother is unconscious. How much more serious could this be?"

"The fate of the world rests on our shoulders, and now it's on you and your brother as well." My eyes widened in shock and I stared down at Toshiro. He couldn't bear the weight of the world. He could barely handle protecting me from that serpent. I shook my head.

"No. This can't be happening," I whispered. "What are _we_ supposed to do about those… _things_ that attacked us?"

"Those things, as you call them, are called Hollows. And you will most likely have to fight them."

"Fight them?! What part of hospitalization didn't you understand?!"

"You already have the ability to see Hollows and Soul Reapers, if you could see Ichigo. That's more than most people can say. From what I hear, you've already fought off a Hollow."

"What are you talking about?"

"That Hollow that attacked you last week should have killed you. Somehow, you were able to knock it backwards long enough for Uryuu to kill it."

"He knows about this too?!" I asked in shock.

"So does Orihime," Ichigo added. "We've been doing this for about ten years."

"Are there more people who know about this?"

"There are a few more humans and hundreds of Soul Reapers," Kisuke answered.

"How does this all go unnoticed?!"

"Like I said, not many people can see them. On top of that, the Soul Society has had thousands of hears to get good at cover-ups." I stared at him incredulously. None of this made any sense. In fact, it sounded like a half-baked conspiracy theory. I was beginning to put serious thought into the idea that Kisuke was on drugs.

"Your brother can also fight Hollows," Ichigo said and I glared harshly at him.

"Over my dead body! There is no way in hell I'm going to allow Toshiro to fight those demons, or Hollows, or whatever you want to call them!"

"You want to protect your brother?" Kisuke asked. I nodded sharply. "More Hollows will come, whether or not you believe us. If you want him to live to see his next birthday, your only option is to get our help."

The pregnant silence that filled the room was far from comfortable. I'd just been told my brother would die if I didn't learn to fight those Hollows Kisuke had spoken of. My gaze shifted to the sleeping Toshiro and I felt my heart clench in my chest. When he was born, I'd promised to always protect him. What choice did I have?

"Okay," I murmured. "What do I need to learn?"

"You sure you don't want to think about it?" Ichigo asked.

"What's there to think about? My brother's in danger and I have to protect him at all costs." Kisuke nodded and loosely crossed his arms in front of his chest in a lazy fashion.

"I would suggest you let all of this sink in and come back tomorrow with your brother. Ichigo's friends will be here at noon," he explained. "Once your brother- you said his name was Toshiro, right? Once he wakes up, you're free to go."

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**Yes, some information has finally been given to Minako about what's going on. But there's more to be learned. Please R&R.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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Toshiro was silent beside me as we walked to Kisuke's shop; his new sneakers lit up with each step. I was still unsure about Kisuke and his story, but he was the only option I had if I wanted to understand what was happening to my brother and me. Toshiro was on edge as well, knowing how I acted around Kisuke.

"Why are we going back to see that man? You don't like it there," Toshiro asked.

"Because I want to understand what's happening to us, and what I can do to stop it," I answered, my voice sharper than I had intended. I internally cringed, but Toshiro seemed unaffected by my tone, like he'd expected it.

"Why didn't Mr. Ishida tell us what happened before?"

"I don't know."

My voice was softer this time and I sighed softly. There were a lot of things I didn't know and it scared me to think of how Toshiro could be hurt because of it. I didn't want that to happen. If I wanted to protect my brother, I'd have to trust Uryuu and his friends. We soon arrived at Kisuke's candy shop, where I found two teen sweeping the front porch. One was a timid girl with black hair that fell down the middle of her face. Her eyes were downcast and I could only guess she had very low self-esteem. The other child was a boy with messy red hair and tanned skin. He was much more outgoing, but crude. In fact, as my brother and I neared, the red haired boy was verbally abusing the girl.

"Don't be stupid, Ururu!" he yelled and raised his broom. Before he could bring it down on her head, I grabbed the handle and pulled it from his hands. The boy looked up at me with a glare. "Who the heck are you?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Urahara. Who're you two?" I asked sternly, using the tone I often used when Toshiro was in trouble.

"My name is Jinta and she's Ururu. We help manage the shop."

"Well, Jinta, do you mind telling me why you were about to hit Ururu with this broom?" Jinta glared at me and tried to grab the cleaning instrument from my hands. I held it above my head, where he couldn't quite reach.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"That certainly doesn't make it right for you to hit her."

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?!" Jinta demanded, jumping up and grabbing the broom from my hand. At that moment, the front door opened to reveal Kisuke Urahara.

"Now, Jinta, is that any way to treat a guest?" he asked lazily, almost as if he were joking. "Miss Kitamura, Toshiro, please come with me."

I glanced at Jinta and Ururu before nodding and following Kisuke inside, Toshiro close behind me. We were led to one of the back rooms, where I could see a group of familiar faces gathered around a small table. Ichigo was seated nearest the door and turned to greet us. Uryuu and Orihime were on the left side of the table and across from them was a muscular, very tan man with messy brown hair that covered his eyes. There was an empty seat next to him, which Kisuke motioned towards for me. Reluctantly, I took a seat with my legs crossed and set Toshiro in my lap with my arm wrapped around him. Kisuke sat across from Ichigo, at the head of the table.

"Good to see you're doing well, Toshiro," Ichigo said with a smile. He was trying to lighten the atmosphere, I could tell.

"Now that everyone's here, we can begin," Kisuke noted, glancing my way. I wasn't sure exactly what he expected from me, but I figured it was as good a time as any to begin asking questions.

"Mr. Ishida, Orihime, why didn't you tell me any of this if you knew what was going on?" I asked, staring directly at them.

"I didn't know if you saw the Hollow. I thought it had been a coincidence that you were attacked last week," Uryuu answered earnestly. Ichigo scoffed.

"Then an Arrancar showed up yesterday with a pet Hollow," he muttered.

"Well, we've figured out this isn't an accident, but why are they targeting my brother and me?" I asked.

"I can answer that," Kisuke said. "You see, your brother has a very high spiritual pressure, but he has no control over it. Because of that, his spiritual pressure basically expands to those he is closest to. You live with him, so it's only natural your own spiritual pressure was stimulated by Toshiro's."

"And… what about that wall of ice that appeared yesterday?"

"That would be Toshiro's spiritual pressure at work. Toshiro, what was going through your mind as the Hollow attacked?" My brother shied away, leaning further into me.

"You mean that giant snake?" he asked. Kisuke nodded. "I just wanted Mina-chan to be safe. She's still hurt from last time."

"That's why the ice barrier formed. Toshiro wanted to protect you, Miss Kitamura, so his spiritual pressure did what it could to carry out that desire. Your ability is a bit different and I'm not sure exactly how it works."

"I was so scared," I murmured. "I thought we were going to die."

"But you didn't. Looks like you were pretty lucky," Kisuke said with a grin, his tone less serious than before. My eyes narrowed.

"This is hardly a laughing matter, Mr. Urahara."

"Who said I was laughing? Calm down, Miss Kitamura. Now, do you know what happened when the Hollow attacked the first time, just before Uryuu showed up?"

"Only what you told me; that it was sent flying backwards."

"I saw the Hollow stop in mid-air and then move in the opposite direction, but I didn't see what caused it," Uryuu answered.

"Then it would seem as though Miss Kitamura's ability is invisible."

"Or it isn't hers at all, but Toshiro's," the man beside me suggested, speaking for the first time.

"What makes you think that, Chad?" Ichigo asked.

"She's only been attacked while her brother was with her. What if everything done in defense was Toshiro's actions?"

"But that man that escaped… He said something about the both of us having very high spiritual pressure," I offered.

"You _saw_ an Arrancar?" Uryuu asked in shock.

"I don't care what it's called, just that he tried to kill me with an overgrown snake!" Toshiro flinched in my arms and I glanced down at him with softer eyes. I hated seeing him scared, even worse when _I_ was the one scaring him.

"Less humans are able to see Arrancar than Hollows. This only makes it more likely that it was _your_ power the first time," Kisuke explained. "We'll have to do some tests to be sure."

"What kind of tests?" I asked apprehensively.

"Nothing too dangerous. We'll just have to see what triggers your abilities."

"I'd say fear does the trick," Ichigo said, leaning back on his hands.

"I want to learn too!" Toshiro exclaimed, sitting up straight in my lap. I stared at him incredulously, though it seemed like the others were only mildly surprised.

"W-What?!" I demanded. "Shiro-chan, what are you thinking? You're only ten years old." Toshiro turned around and looked up, into my eyes. His held determination I'd never seen from him before. He'd always been mature for his age, but now I saw something more.

"I want to protect you, Nee-chan, like you've always protected me," There was innocence in his words, but he held a tone that seemed to imply wisdom far beyond his years. I was speechless.

"Toshiro…"

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**Please R&R**


	10. Chapter 9

**Unfortunately, this is a shorter chapter. I've noticed I keep doing that when I have a change in POV... Gotta get out of that habit...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I only have Minako.**

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All eyes were on my brother and me as we stared at each other. I couldn't believe Toshiro wanted to throw himself into this battle… to protect me. It wasn't supposed to be that way. _I_ was supposed to protect him, not the other way around. The older sibling was supposed to take care of the younger one. I took on that responsibility the day Toshiro was born, even more so when our parents died. It was _my_ duty.

"Mina-chan, I want to do this," Toshiro said. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head.

"No. Absolutely not. I'm not going to let you do this," I answered sternly.

"I have to."

"Toshiro Kitamura, I don't want to hear it!"

"Minako," Ichigo said, snapping my gaze away from my brother, "none of us are going to let your brother be harmed.

"How can I be sure?! How do I know nothing will happen?!"

"I have two younger sisters that I've been protecting from Hollow for ten years. I'll never let anything hurt them and you have my word that nothing will hurt Toshiro."

Tears clouded my vision. I didn't know what to do. Was I supposed to agree and risk endangering my brother, or leave and risk putting him in even more danger? It was down to choosing the lesser of two evils, and I hated it. I slowly shook my head again.

"I can't allow Toshiro to do this."

"He doesn't have to fight, but at least let him learn how to defend himself," Orihime encouraged. I looked at her and could see in her eyes that she wasn't a fighter, yet she was still part of this team. What did she do, exactly? Could Toshiro learn? Could he avoid all the fighting entirely?

"How do I know he won't get involved?"

"We can call in backup," Kisuke answered. "Believe it or not, protecting your brother will probably be top priority to the Soul Society." My brows furrowed in confusion.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Oh, there are a few reasons. I can't think of any off the top of my head at this moment, though. I promise, you and your brother will be in capable hands." I slowly nodded, a bit reluctant. I didn't want Toshiro to be harmed, and this was the best way to make sure of that.

"Alright," I whispered."

"Good to hear. I already have two people in mind who will make the perfect bodyguards for you and Toshiro. You'll see them in a couple days. Until then, do you have anymore questions?"

"When can you start teaching _me_?"

* * *

Rangiku Matsumoto sighed heavily and shook her cramping hand. Since taking the position of captain for Division Ten, she now had even more paperwork and no one to put it off on. She adjusted the haori she wore, but stopped mid-tug. It'd been ten years since Captain Hitsugaya's death, but she could still clearly remember a time when _he_ wore the white haori. The image of the late captain's death would still play vividly in her might. Every sight, every sound, her pained scream as he fell; they were all there.

"Captain," Rangiku murmured as she stared at the wall to her right.

There, Hyorinmaru had been mounted in memory of Captain Hitsugaya. Rangiku's eyes fell as a wave of grief washed over her. God, she needed a drink. She reached into the drawer of her desk – not that she ever truly though it was hers – and grabbed the bottle of sake she kept stashed there. Just as she was opening the bottle, the office door burst open, revealing Renji Abarai. Rangiku managed to hold back a scream, but that didn't stop her from jumping, or stop the sake from flying across the room.

"Rangiku, you're not going to believe this!" Renji yelled, running up to the desk. The Tenth Division captain frowned at him.

"Renji, don't scare me like that! I almost popped right out of my kimono! What's so important that you had to barge in like that?!" she demanded.

"They found him."

"Found who? What are you talking about?"

"Ichigo and his friends; they found Captain Hitsugaya," Renji answered, his voice now lower than before.

"What?!"

"Shh! Keep it down. I'm only supposed to tell you and Rukia." For a moment, Rangiku allowed her hopes to be risen by the news. Then she remembered what she'd seen. There was no denying what had happened. She sighed once more.

"Don't be stupid, Renji," she said solemnly. "He died ten years ago. Even if he was already reincarnated in the Living World, there'd be no chance of finding him again. He'd just be a normal human boy."

"Urahara said that he's positive this kid is Captain Hitsugaya and that he's not a normal kid."

"What if it really _is_ him, Renji? What are you going to do?"

"Rukia and I are being called in to keep an eye on him and his sister."

"Sister?" Rangiku shook her head with a light chuckle. "I forgot he's not going to be the same person we've known."

"I doubt he'll be too different. Come see him when you can. Rukia and I will be leaving soon."

"Don't let anything happen to him," Rangiku warned.

"I won't," Renji answered as he left the room. Once the door was closed, Rangiku turned to the zanpakuto on the wall and ran her fingers along the sheath. She'd allow herself to hope, just one last time.

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**Well, I figured Rangiku deserved some 'screen time' relatively early on in the story. Hope you don't mind. ;P Please R&R.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Again, too short for my tastes... Grr... Anyway, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. :)**

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. I only own Minako.**

_

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_

Toshiro's hand flew to the blade strapped to his back. It was his companion, his zanpakuto. With that blade, he would avenge his fallen friend. The girl he'd grown up with was lying on the floor, her blood flowing from the hole in her abdomen. Toshiro would make sure Aizen would pay for what he'd done to Momo. He ran forward, drawing his blade…

Toshiro sat up in bed with a jolt, his eyes wide. He'd had dreams like that more times than he could count. He always saw people he knew, but had never met. Many a night, he'd asked himself who that girl, Momo, was. Why did he always seem older and stronger in those dreams, but not in any other?

Why did he always brandish a sword?

Toshiro didn't know the answers to these questions, but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to. Most of _those_ dreams resulted in him being seriously injured, or waking just before it could happen. Toshiro shook his head and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When he moved his hand, he could see another figure in the room.

* * *

My eyes snapped open at the sound of a high-pitched scream. I was out of my bed and running down the hall in less than a second. Had one of those monsters… those Hollows attacked? Was Toshiro hurt? What would I do to protect him? All those thoughts and more raced through my mind as my feet pounded on the floor. I yanked my brother's bedroom door open and ran inside. Before me, I could see a black figure and I immediately thought of a Hollow. My fear only increased, especially when I saw Toshiro trembling in his bed.

"Stay away from him!" I screamed.

Suddenly, what could only be described as a shockwave erupted from around me and sent the dark figure into the wall opposite me. The intruder slumped to the floor with a groan. My body suddenly felt very fatigued and I had to lean on the wall behind me to remain standing. I flicked on the lights and allowed my eyes to adjust. Toshiro jumped out of his bed and threw his arms around my waist, still trembling.

"What was _that_?" the intruder asked, rubbing his head.

Now that the light was on, I saw that he was a man with deep red hair that was pulled back into a spiky ponytail and had strange tattoos on his eyebrows and down the sides of his face. They reminded me of tribal markings. He wore black, traditional clothes that were identical to the one's I'd seen Ichigo in the first time. This man also had a sword attached to his hip.

"Are you a Soul Reaper?" I asked apprehensively.

"I take it you're the girl Urahara told me about. Yeah, I'm a Soul Reaper." The man stood, but made no move to approach me or my brother.

"Are you one of the bodyguards Mr. Urahara said he'd call?"

"That's right. My name's Renji Abarai."

"I'm Minako Kitamura. Where's the other one?"

"She'll probably be here soon, after that stunt you pulled with your spiritual pressure," Renji answered.

"What do you mean?"

"_You_ sent me into the wall!" At that moment, a woman appeared in the room, wearing the same attire as Renji. She was much shorter than him and very lean. Her short hair was black and her eyes were an odd shade of purple.

"Renji, what happened here?!" she demanded harshly.

"The spiritual pressure we felt was the kid's. I must've scared him."

"Are you the other one Mr. Urahara called?" I asked. The woman turned to acknowledge me and nodded.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki. Renji and I have been brought here to help protect you and Toshiro Kitamura." I sighed softly and placed my hand on my forehead. Toshiro had stopped shaking, but he still held onto me tightly.

"I'll prepare a place for both of you to sleep for the night."

"Don't worry about that. We already have arrangements."

"The only reason I came was because I felt the kid's spiritual pressure," Renji added.

"His name is Toshiro," I corrected with a stern gaze, even through my exhaustion.

"Right… sorry."

"We'll come back tomorrow, at a decent hour," Rukia said and grabbed Renji's arm before they both disappeared. Once they were gone, I sighed heavily and looked down at Toshiro.

"What have I gotten us into?" I asked.

"We can trust them," my brother answered, moving to sit back on his bed. He pulled the covers over his legs, but didn't lie down just yet. I sat next to him on the bed and ruffled his hair.

"What makes you say that, Shiro-chan?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno, but… I feel like I know them from somewhere." I gave my brother a confused look before shaking my head lightly. It was late and we both needed sleep after what had happened. Toshiro rested his head on the pillow and I tucked him in, kissing his forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning, Shiro-chan," I whispered as I shut off his light and made my way back to my room. I was asleep the second my head hit the pillow.

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**Please R&R.**


	12. Chapter 11

**I just had some fun with this chapter, and introduce a character that had been previously mentioned. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I only own Minako and any OC that comes up.**

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I rubbed my eyes as I poured myself a second cup of coffee. It was nine-thirty in the morning and I had yet to fully awaken after the previous night's events. Renji and Rukia's appearance overnight had left me drained. Toshiro walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face, looking relatively well-rested.

"Good morning, Mina-chan," he greeted, pouring a glass of orange juice for himself.

"Good morning," I answered before taking a sip of my coffee. What I really needed were a few more hours of sleep. Not even five minutes later, I could hear a knock at the front door. Standing outside were Rukia and Renji, dressed in normal street clothes, for which I was grateful for. I opened the door and stepped aside to allow them in.

"Have we come at a bad time?" Rukia asked.

"No, it's fine. Come on in. Is there anything I can get you?"

"We just need to talk to you and Toshiro," Renji answered. I nodded and led them to the kitchen, where Toshiro sat on a stool beside the counter. A smile grew on his features when he saw our guests enter the room. I sat beside him, taking another sip from my coffee, while Rukia and Renji each took a seat across from us.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Rukia and I will have to keep our eyes on you both, following you around for much of the day."

"How exactly will that work? Neither of you can follow me into my office."

"Why not?" Rukia asked.

"I'm a teen counselor. They have the right to confidentiality and I can't break that. I'd lose not only my job, but my license."

"They wouldn't see me," Renji answered.

"That doesn't matter. I'm the only one who is allowed to hear what they have to say unless they want to tell someone else. If you come in, you'll be violating their privacy and I can't allow that. Besides, how could they _not_ see you? There'd be no place for you to hide."

"Most people can't see Soul Reapers," Rukia answered and I mentally berated myself for forgetting that note. It was too early for me to be remembering this stuff. "As long as we aren't in a gigai, we're invisible to the world."

"That still doesn't solve the issue of my clients' confidentiality," I pointed out.

"Then Renji can wait outside while you're with a client. I will be with your brother, making sure no harm comes his way. In the afternoons, Urahara wants you both to go to his shop, where he can teach you to defend yourselves."

"When does the training start?"

"Today at four."

* * *

Toshiro and I walked to the odd – admittedly sketchy – candy shop Kisuke owned, Renji and Rukia following behind us. I'd learned that they were each wearing a gigai, a false body, and could be seen by other people. Of course, this earned many odd stares because of Renji's facial tattoos.

"Miss Kitamura!" someone yelled and I turned around to see a familiar young man with short, spiked black hair and strong facial features. He was muscular for his age, seventeen. As he drew nearer, I could see faint scars near his eyebrow and lower lip, where he'd once had large piercings. He'd only gotten them as an act of defiance and never really liked them.

"Tsume, how are you?" I greeted with a smile. Renji and Rukia both stepped aside to allow the teenager to stand in front of me. Tsume pulled me into a tight hug, catching me by surprise for a moment. He'd never been one to hug excessively.

"I never got the chance to really thank you," he said, pulling away. People often wondered why I took the job I did. _This_ was the reason: being able to help people like I'd helped Tsume.

"I'm glad you're doing well."

"I was accepted into the college I wanted. I'll be majoring in creative writing."

"That's awesome, Tsume! I remember some of the short stories you brought in to show me. I'm so proud of you." A light blush crossed his cheeks, giving him a more boyish look. Tsume then glanced at Renji and his brows furrowed in thought, probably trying to figure out who the Soul Reaper was.

"Friend of yours?" Tsume asked, nodding towards Renji.

"Something like that," I answered with a chuckle. "I met him though some friends who asked me to show the two of them around town." Tsume knew very well that the only people I was around with such negative dispositions were my clients. He must have found the sight before him odd, but he nodded nonetheless. He then knelt down and shook hands with Toshiro.

"Hey, little buddy. You taking good care of your sister?" Toshiro nodded. "Not giving her any trouble, right?"

"No, sir," Toshiro answered. Tsume ruffled his hair with a laugh.

"Att'a boy."

I smiled softly at the two of them. I rarely brought Toshiro to work with me, part of the reason being that I worked with kids who would be bad influence. Tsume was one of the very few of my clients that met Toshiro and they became close almost immediately. Tsume treated my brother like a sibling he'd never had. Toshiro just had that effect on people.

"Mina-chan hurt her arm, so I'm helping her." Tsume raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked up at me.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I was attacked a couple weeks ago. I'm doing fine," I answered, trying to quell his fears.

"Let me know if you need anything. I've got to get to work. I'll see you later, Minako. See ya, Toshiro." Tsume waved to use and nodded politely to Rukia and Renji before walking off.

"Your brother almost made a big mistake," Renji hisses as we began walking again.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Humans aren't supposed to know about Hollows or Arrancar."

"Toshiro knows not to tell anyone what happened to us. He's not as immature as you assume he is." I turned my attention back to where I was walking, effectively putting an end to the conversation. From behind me, I could hear Rukia chuckling.

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**Please R&R.**


	13. Chapter 12

**I had a little bit of fun with the first day of training. Hopefully you guys find it humorous.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. I only own Minako and other OCs.**

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"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were being attacked again," Kisuke greeted lightly when the four of us arrived.

"Give us some credit," Renji answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What are _you_ doing back, moocher?" Jinta demanded, pointing at Renji. I glanced between them and withheld a chuckle.

"Shut up, you little brat!"

"Now, now, children. No fighting," Kisuke interrupted. "Come in and follow me." We entered the shop and Kisuke led us towards the rear of the room, where a panel of the floor had been lifted. Looking into the hole, I could only see darkness, leaving me to wonder just how deep this hole was.

"Whoa," Toshiro whispered.

"Watch your step. It's a long way down."

I began descending the ladder first, Toshiro right behind me. We worked our way down for a half hour before emerging in a room that made me feel like we were outside again. Even the ceiling looked like the sky. The ground below was designed to look like a desert landscape and I could see a few people waiting at the base of the ladder. When Toshiro and I made it to the bottom, I saw Kisuke, Renji and Rukia already there, as well as Ichigo and a man I didn't recognize. This man was tall and extremely muscular. He wore glasses and the typical outfit of a store worker, and had a black moustache. His hair was in cornrows atop his head and he was dark-skinned.

"How did you get here so quickly?" I asked Kisuke.

"With a wave of my magic wand, of course," he answered, swinging a cane that he pulled from his jacket. I frowned as my brow furrowed in frustration. It seemed as though I couldn't get a straight answer out of him. "Miss Kitamura, this is my good friend, Tessai. Tessai, meet Minako Kitamura and her brother, Toshiro." The large, muscular man nodded in greeting.

"Pleasure to meet you both," he said.

"Nice to meet you," I answered as Toshiro grinned up at the man. I then turned to Ichigo. "Why'd you come here?"

"To make sure you and Toshiro don't get hurt," Ichigo answered. He was wearing the black clothes again and had a large sword strapped to his back.

"That's our job, Ichigo," Renji muttered.

"And I already told her I wouldn't let anything happen to her brother.

"Both of you, quit arguing," Rukia interrupted, standing between the two male Soul Reapers. "These two need to start their training and you're in the way."

"Just how is this going to work?" I asked.

"The two of you will need to be taught separately," Kisuke answered. "First, we'll need to find out what triggers each of your abilities. Then, we can begin honing them."

"Renji got a dose of her power last night," Rukia said and Kisuke nodded, humming in thought.

"What happened?"

"I thought he was a Hollow or something. I was afraid he'd hurt Toshiro or me. Then, something strange happened. It looked like a shockwave hit Renji and he crashed into the wall."

"What about Toshiro?"

"What do you mean? He's perfectly fine. It didn't touch him at all."

"So, he hasn't been affected by your ability at all?"

"No," Toshiro answered for himself. "I can see it when Mina-chan protects me, but I don't feel anything."

"I was three feet away and hit the wall," Renji muttered.

"It would appear your ability isn't as invisible as Uryuu thought. It must have happened too quickly for him to see it before. Well, we should probably start your training and figure out how to control your powers. Miss Kitamura, I want you to come with me. Renji, you too. Ichigo, you and Rukia will take care of Toshiro. Tessai will be here to help anyone who needs it," Kisuke explained and led Renji and me to another part of the strange chamber we were in.

I could still see Toshiro, but he was a good distance away. When I turned to face Kisuke, I noticed Renji taking some kind of pill. As soon as he swallowed it, what appeared to be a clone of him popped out of the body, which stumbled back. The other Renji was now wearing the attire of a Soul Reaper. My eyes widened in shock, staring at the two of them. It was much like what I'd seen Ichigo do the first day I met him, but in reverse. Was this how Soul Reapers exited their gigais?

"Just sit down and stay out of the way," Renji ordered his body, which half-heartedly saluted before walking farther away and taking a seat.

"What the…" I started.

"Just ignore him. Division Twelve is still trying to work out all the kinks in those things." A confused expression crossed my features before I shook my head dismissively.

"Right. I'll pretend I know what you're talking about. Let's just get started."

"My thoughts exactly," Kisuke said with a grin. At that moment, a loud scream sounded from behind me and I turned in time to see Ichigo swinging his sword down at my brother. My heart stopped.

"Toshiro!" I screamed.

The strange shockwave erupted again, knocking Renji, Ichigo and Rukia, who had also left her gigai, to the ground. I ran to my brother's side and frantically looked him over. Not finding any injuries, I turned to face Ichigo as he finally stood.

"What hit me?" he murmured.

"What the _hell_ was that?! You nearly killed my brother!" As I screamed at Ichigo, he fell back to the ground, apparently shocked. I was livid.

"But he didn't," Kisuke answered from behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know he was smiling.

"Only because I stopped him! What happened to making sure nothing happened to him?!"

"Calm yourself, Miss Kitamura."

"No, I will _not_ calm down! He tried to kill Toshiro!"

"It was merely a test." Finally, I turned to face Kisuke.

"A what?"

"A test. I wanted to see what triggered your powers, so I asked Ichigo to attack your brother, with no intention of harming him, of course. Judging by Ichigo, Rukia and Renji's inability to get up, I would guess that fear isn't the only trigger, but anger as well. What puzzles me is why it didn't have any effect on the rest of us." By this time, I was a bit calmer, now that I knew Toshiro wasn't in any harm. I was still clearly upset by the fact he'd been attacked in the first place, though.

"What do you think it means?" Rukia asked as she stood. It appeared as though she was no longer affected by my powers, nor were Ichigo and Renji.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think she'll be very useful against the Hollows and Arrancar," Kisuke answered.

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**What can I say? I like ticking off my characters every once in a while. Please R&R.**


	14. Chapter 13

****

Dang, another short one with an alternate POV... I really gotta work on that... Anyway, enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I only own Minako.**

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A man in white stood in the dimly lit room in which he held his throne. His sharp brown eyes gazed over the empty room, a frown adorning his usually calm, strong features. His Espada weren't nearly as powerful as wha he had ten years prior. In fact, only Yammy remained; his most powerful Espada. The rest had been killed by that Substitute Soul Reaper and his friends. Worse, there had been news of Arrancar outside of Las Noches that were aiding the Soul Reapers in their goals. Damn rebellion. Aizen's thoughts drifted to the news he'd received only days before from one of his weaker Arrancar. It appeared the Gotei 13 captain he'd killed, Toshiro Hitsugaya, had been reincarnated. He was now a young boy, and had retained not only his appearance, but his spiritual pressure. Aizen smirked.

"All according to plan."

* * *

Renji groaned as he pushed himself off the ground and I couldn't help but feel proud of myself. Kisuke had had the theory that my ability was triggered by powerful emotions. We'd started with fear and anger. Then, we branched out and discovered that any emotion that I felt strongly would release this strange shockwave I emitted. The more I used it, the less tiring it became to use.

"Very good, Miss Kitamura. You've come very far in this past month," Kisuke said as he approached.

"Mina-chan, look!" Toshiro yelled from about thirty feet away. I turned around and saw that he'd created a dome of ice around Ichigo, trapping him inside.

"The kid's a natural," Renji murmured and I smiled, full of pride.

"He's a Kitamura," I answered.

"Let's try this one more time," Kisuke suggested.

"Toshiro has school tomorrow and I have work. It's time to call it a night."

Kisuke nodded, knowing I was firmly set when it came to my brother's education. Ichigo broke out of his frozen cage and ruffled Toshiro's hair with a smile. My brother laughed and grabbed Ichigo's hand, tugging him towards me. Rukia followed along with a small smile on her lips. She looked happy to see my brother doing so well.

"Toshiro's just about mastered his ability," Ichigo said. He picked up Toshiro and put him on his shoulders, much like how I would expect and older brother to interact with the younger.

"He's a true prodigy," Rukia added and my smile grew. I was so proud of Toshiro for doing well.

"I'll see you both tomorrow, then," Kisuke said, nodding in our direction.

Renji held out his hand for me and I held on tightly as he brought me up to the top of the ladder, inside Kisuke's shop. They called it 'flash step'. I chuckled softly, thinking of all the terms I'd had to learn, and those I still didn't fully understand. Ichigo, Rukia and Kisuke were in the shop in mere seconds as well; Ichigo had carried Toshiro up. He set my brother down before entering his body. I'd learned he was what they called a Substitute Soul Reaper, which meant he was still living, like my brother and me. The strange pill he and the others took to exit their bodies were called mod souls, which took over the body.

I took Toshiro's hand and left the shop with him and Renji. The red-haired Soul Reaper had been living with us for the past month, sleeping on our couch, so he could keep eyes on us at night when we would be more vulnerable. Rukia was staying with Ichigo because he had the extra room. As soon as we were home, I locked the front door and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Renji disappeared for a few minutes before returning in his gigai. This was a daily occurrence and quickly became something I thought very little of, as though it had been happening all my life. I sometimes found it strange how quickly Toshiro and I had grown accustomed to Renji and Rukia's presence in our daily lives.

"Your Modsoul didn't cause any trouble, right?" I asked Renji as he reentered the kitchen. He'd mentioned the Modsoul's name to me once, but I'd failed to remember it. I'd remembered the Modsoul Ichigo used was named Kon and Rukia had Chappy.

"No trouble at all," he answered easily, sitting on one of the stools. I nodded slowly, staring down at the mean as I cut it into smaller pieces to cook.

"Good to hear," I murmured.

"Hmmm? Something bugging you?"

"It's nothing, really."

"It's not a good idea to be distracted when you're cooking," Renji said, his voice taking on a mock lecturing tone. I rolled my eyes with a soft chuckle.

"I just don't want Toshiro to be fighting. He's only ten."

"You want to fight for him?"

"I wish we didn't have to fight at all." I set the knife down and leaned against the counter, resting a hand on my forehead. I heard Renji step off the stool and felt his hand rest on my shoulder.

"It'll be fine. If all goes well, neither of you will _have_ to fight anyone." I nodded slowly and rested my hand on Renji's.

"Thanks, Renji. I hope you're right."

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**Just some cute moments, I suppose. Please R&R.**


	15. Chapter 14

**I'm back with a new chapter! Sorry, guys... I've been too lazy to type lately. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters. I have dibbs on Minako and Tsume.**

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I jotted down a few notes on my clipboard as Kaname told about his day. He was seventeen years old and lived with his father, with whom he didn't see eye-to-eye. Much of our sessions were spent trying to discover the root of Kaname's deep-seated anger towards his father.

"That's when I left to come here," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back. He was sulking. It wasn't unusual with him because he often came to see me soon after his arguments with his father. Before I could say anything, Renji ran into the room, in his Soul Reaper form; Kaname wouldn't see him.

"We've got trouble," he said urgently. I glanced his way with furrowed brows. "It's Toshiro." My eyes widened and I turned back to Kaname. I couldn't just get up and leave. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and glanced at it, pretending to check a message.

"Kaname, I'm really sorry, but something's come up. My brother's in trouble," I told him with pleading eyes. He nodded.

"I understand. I'd do the same for my sister." I murmured another apology before putting everything away and running out of the room. Kaname would be coming back the next day instead. Renji met me outside and he began leading me down the road.

"What happened to Toshiro?" I demanded.

"He's been captured," he answered over his shoulder.

"_What?!_" Renji stumbled from the force of my shockwave as my anger and fear soared. He continued to run ahead of me, muttering something under his breath.

"We're going to Urahara's shop. I'll explain everything there."

I frowned, but nodded nonetheless. My lungs froze in my chest as I thought of my brother and what could've possible been happening to him. Breathing only became more difficult as I ran, but I ignored it. I was running purely on adrenaline by then. As we neared Kisuke's shop, I could see Uryuu and Ichigo waiting outside. Renji and I were quickly brought in, where I promptly leaned against the wall to catch my breath.

"Minako," Ichigo started.

"Where is my brother? I'll kill whoever took him," I interrupted, my voice low and ominous. Renji froze beside me and I knew it was because he'd never heard me use such a tone. I wasn't a violent person, unless Toshiro was involved. Not a hair was to be harmed on that boy's head.

"You can't," Uryuu answered and my head snapped up as I stared at him.

"Don't tell me I can't save my brother. If you know where he is, bring me there!"

"You physically can't go where he is. They took him to Hueco Mundo, a place normal humans can't go without the use of a Reishihenkanki."

"Is that what they used to bring him there?"

"Something like that," Ichigo answered. I sighed heavily and placed a hand on my forehead, tears brimming my eyes. They had taken Toshiro away from me, to a place I was unable to reach him. My hand curled into a fist and I punched the wall behind me. I vaguely noticed Renji flinch as a shockwave flowed from around me.

"How did this happen? Wasn't Rukia with him?" I demanded, staring into Ichigo's eyes and pleading with my own.

He scowled and opened the door to the back room. There, I saw a small figure dress in black, presumably Rukia, lying on the floor. Orihime was kneeling beside her with some sort of energy field around the Soul Reaper. I slowly walked into the room, confusion painted on my features. Was this Orihime's ability? What was she doing?

"Rukia tried to stop them and nearly died in the process. Orihime is healing her wounds now," Renji explained. I stared down at Rukia, appalled by the wounds she'd received. The worse was a slash down her chest that nearly cut her in half diagonally. She must have done all she could to protect Toshiro.

"This is terrible."

"We never said it would be easy," Kisuke said from behind me, catching me by surprise. I whirled around, wondering where he'd come from.

"Nothing was supposed to happen to my brother. You all swore you wouldn't let him be harmed, yet Rukia's the only one who seemed to even try!"

"Last I checked, you weren't able to stop them from taking the kid either. Didn't you say something about swearing to always protect him?" Renji retorted.

"Who's the one who raised him for the past six years?!"

"Both of you need to calm down," Uryuu interrupted. "This is no one person's fault and no amount of arguing is going to reverse what's been done. It happened and now we need to focus on getting him back, and figuring out what Aizen wants with him."

"You all keep talking about this Aizen, but who is he?"

"Sit down. We have a lot more explaining to do," Ichigo answered.

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**Fun, fun. Please R&R.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Whoot! Something with a switched POV that was longer than two pages! Sorry... I'm really excited about that. I had fun with this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

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Toshiro's eyes darted around the white room he was in. He'd been taken from his school by a huge, muscular man whose jaw bone was _outside_ his skin. Nobody in his class had seen the man, but they'd seen the wall cave in when he came. Miss Kiyoshi had ushered the students out of the room in such a rush, she hadn't noticed Toshiro slipping away with Rukia. The Soul Reaper had tried to bring him away from the man – the Arrancar, as Rukia called him – but they were quickly found. Rukia had pushed Toshiro away, brandishing her sword, her zanpakuto. She'd tried to defend Toshiro, fighting with all her strength. It was all in vain.

She'd been killed.

Tears blurred Toshiro's vision as he thought of Rukia's mangled body on the floor of his classroom. She'd been sliced open, bleeding profusely. There was no way she could have survived. Toshiro shook his head violently, silently crying. He'd become so used to having Rukia around. Now, she'd died because of him and he could do nothing to stop it. The Arrancar had shrugged off Toshiro's ice-based attacks as though they were nothing.

"It's not fair," he whispered, his voice breaking from the tears.

Toshiro had been given know clothes to wear, though he hated them with every part of his being. They were similar to what the Soul Reapers wore, but the shirt wasn't as loose or traditional. The clothes were completely white and he'd been given a pair of sandals to wear. His normal clothes had been taken away from him. A light knocked came to the door and the visitor entered without a word from Toshiro.

"Hey, don't be so sad, kid. It's not that bad yet," the man said. Toshiro turned around to see the tall, thin man who had entered the room. He had short white hair, eyes that were always squinted closed and a constant smile that scared Toshiro. For reasons he couldn't explain, the boy felt as though he knew this man.

"Go away!"

"Now, is that any way to speak to your elder?" The man continued to approach as Toshiro began trembling, suddenly fearing for his life.

* * *

"_Toshiro! Toshiro, where are you?" I called, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice. Toshiro had run off to play on his own, disappearing into the park. I'd lost sight of him and quickly became panicked. "Toshiro!"_

"_Mina-chan!" a little voice yelled and I turned to see my younger brother duck behind a large, industrial plastic dome that was painted orange with purple spots. I ran after him and grabbed his shoulder, dropping to my knees in front of him._

"_Toshiro Kitamura, what were you thinking?"_

"_I was playing with Kagami." My hands dropped from his shoulders to my lap and I stared directly into his beautiful teal eyes._

"_You scared me, Shiro-chan. I though I lost you," I whispered. Toshiro wrapped his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly._

"_You'll never really lose me, Nee-chan."_

That was only two years before, when Toshiro was eight years old. He'd always been and adventurous little boy, giving me a heart attack at every turn, but nothing like this. Toshiro had never been in any real danger, save for the possibility of spraining something. Now, I'd lost him to a group of psychotic rebel Soul Reapers. I _would_ get him back and _nothing_ was going to stop me.

"Minako?" Ichigo asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Huh?" I murmured, barely paying attention.

"Are you okay?"

"My brother's been kidnapped and is being put through – God only knows what. Do I look like I'm okay, Ichigo?"

"You know we'll get him back," Renji answered firmly. He was using that tone of voice to sound confident, so I would be comforted.

"Do you plan to bring him back dead or alive?! You're all just sitting here!"

"We have to wait for the Reishihenkanki to be prepared. That'll take a week," Uryuu explained.

"A week?!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Minako. It's my fault," Rukia said weakly, trying to push herself into a sitting position. Orihime had recently healed her, but the Soul Reaper was still greatly weakened. I placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to remain lying down.

"Don't, Rukia. It's not your fault. Uryuu was right; it's not anyone's fault. Is there… any way to get there sooner?"

"If we had known what Aizen was planning ahead of time, I could have prepared the gate sooner. Where we are now, it'll take a week," Kisuke answered.

"What about Toshiro? What if we're too late to save him?"

"We won't be," Ichigo answered.

The sureness in his eyes made it hard for me to doubt him. I began to believe we _could_ get my brother back. Only minutes later, there was a knock at the door to the back room. I glanced around in confusion. The only one missing from the group was Chad, and Uryuu had said he was busy at work, as a mechanic. The door opened and I saw a woman who didn't appear to be much older than me, maybe in her late twenties. She had long, wavy hair that was the same color as Orihime and Ichigo's. Her eyes were blue and she was truly a beautiful woman. She was, however, very well-endowed and her bust appeared too large for her pale green blouse and yellow sweater. The woman was wearing a white skirt and sandals to complete her outfit.

"Rangiku?!" Renji exclaimed, clearly surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to visit the captain. I finally found some time to come," the woman answered with a smile. She then looked down at me before taking my hand and shaking it. "And you must be the captain's older sister. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Who are-" I started.

"He's not here," Renji interrupted, causing the woman, Rangiku, to stop smiling and look his way.

"What do you mean, Renji?" she asked sharply.

"He's been captured by Aizen."

* * *

**So... anyone wanna place bets on what Ragiku's gonna do to him? After all...**

**FLASHBACK**

**"Don't let anything happen to him," Rangiku warned.**

**"I won't."**

**END FLASHBACK**

**Yeah... that didn't work out so well. lol. Please R&R.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chort chapter... -pouts- Oh well. I think it was pretty good still. Hopefully the rest of you think that as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

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I pressed my fingers to Renji's forehead, pushing his head back, and held a couple tissues to his bleeding nose. Rangiku Matsumoto, as I had come to know the woman as, had been less than pleased when she'd heard the news of my brother's capture. She'd caught Renji with a quick right fist, knocking him into the wall and quite possibly breaking his nose. Rangiku's arms were crossed in front of her as she glared harshly at Renji.

"You told me you wouldn't let anything happen to him," she growled.

"It's not my fault they sent and Espada!" Renji yelled, taking the tissues from me and holding them himself.

"You _know_ how important the captain is!" My brow furrowed in confusion. Captain? Were they actually talking about Toshiro, a ten-year-old boy?

"Why are you calling him captain?" I asked.

"You didn't tell them?!" Ichigo sighed softly from where he sat and Renji growled.

"We didn't think it was necessary they knew," Kisuke answered, glancing up from under his wide-brimmed hat.

"It's likely the reason he was taken. Don't you think she should know now?" Rangiku argued.

"Know what?" I asked. I didn't understand anything that was going on. It felt like I was right back where I started with this Soul Reaper business.

"Your brother is the reincarnation of a Gotei 13 captain. He led the Tenth Division," Kisuke answered. "His name was Toshiro Hitsugaya and he was killed in battle ten years ago." I placed a hand on my forehead with a soft sigh, closing my eyes.

"Out of all of you, who knew this?"

"Everyone," Ichigo answered honestly. "Uryuu had brought it up first, suspecting it. When we all saw him ourselves, we knew he was the same Toshiro we knew from the Soul Society."

"Why didn't _any_ of you tell me? Kisuke, is this why you thought protecting Toshiro would be top priority?"

"Yes. Your brother's reincarnation caused an imbalance between the Living World and the Soul Society because he retained his spiritual pressure. Aizen was after him because of that."

"And you didn't think it necessary for me to know that because…"

"Because you either wouldn't have believed us or you would've panicked." I couldn't argue with him. I probably _would_ have been more worried about Toshiro. Of course, it didn't matter much now.

"How long do you plan on sitting here, waiting?" Rangiku demanded.

"We have to wait for the… what's it called?" I asked, turning to Uryuu.

"Reishihenkanki," he supplied.

"Soul Reapers don't have to," Rangiku answered and my eyes narrowed.

"Then why are we waiting around?" I demanded.

"We're not sending four people to face an army, especially with Rukia in her condition," Kisuke answered firmly.

It was one of the rare moments he was too serious to argue against. I nodded slowly, my eyes dropping to the floor. I hadn't been thinking of anything but my brother. I hadn't considered what my new friends would be against if they were to go to the place Arrancar called home. It would be a suicide mission.

"In the next week, we're going to continue your training, but more. We're going to try to improve your control," Ichigo explained. "You'll need to cancel your appointments this week."

"After tomorrow. I can't blow off Kaname again. I'm finally making progress with him and if I blow him off, he'll never open up to me again," I answered. Ichigo nodded reluctantly and looked over at Kisuke.

"You'll start tomorrow after work," he said.

"Thank you."

"Go home and rest. You'll need your energy. Renji, go with her."

"Don't think I'm done with you, Renji," Rangiku warned as we left the shop.

"Don't worry, Minako. Your brother will be fine. If Aizen wanted him dead, he wouldn't have taken him to Hueco Mundo," Renji said, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Renji," I murmured, my hands clenched into fists at my side.

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**Please R&R.**


	18. Chapter 17

**More fun to be had in this chapter, as well as a nice little twist. Honestly, I wasn't planning on this until this chapter came and I just went with it. I love it. :D**

**Disclaimer: I only own Minako and Tsume, not Bleach or its characters.**

* * *

A light knock came to the door as I finished putting away Kaname's file. Our appointment had just finished and I had to hurry over to Kisuke's shop for my training. I turned around, expecting to see Renji trying to hurry me out of my office. Instead, I found Tsume standing in the doorway, concern in his eyes.

"Tsume?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard something happened to Toshiro," he answered and my eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't told anyone what had happened to my brother.

"Where did you hear that?"

"I heard your friend, the one with the tattoos, in the lobby. He was talking to some woman about your brother, that he was captured."

I couldn't believe what I'd heard. Renji was supposed to be in his Soul Reaper form. He wasn't supposed to be seen by anyone. It was the same with Rangiku, who had come with him. As if he'd known what I was thinking, Renji came into view, no doubt to see what was taking me so long. Sure enough, he was in his Soul Reaper form. Tsume turned around and jumped back when he saw how close Renji was.

"Tsume, can you see him?" I asked, resting a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Of course I can see him. He's standing _right there._"

"Minako, forget about it. We have to go," Renji said firmly.

"What if he can help?" I asked.

"We can't teach him to be useful in a week, and that's assuming he can do anything in the first place."

"But-"

"Don't bother with it."

"If Toshiro's in trouble, I want to help," Tsume answered, squaring his shoulders and staring into Renji's eyes.

"You'd likely be useless to us."

"I'm not your average kid."

"No, you're a reformed delinquent," Renji answered mockingly. "Do you think that makes you special? So is everyone else Minako's worked with."

"Renji," I hissed and quickly moved to shut the door to my office. "That was uncalled for."

"It's the truth."

"I can help," Tsume interrupted.

"Look, kid, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but the likelihood of you being helpful is slim to none. You may be able to see me, but that doesn't mean anything."

"I've been fighting monsters for a year now!" My eyes widened and I stared at Tsume in shock. What kinds of monsters was he fighting? Hollows? Did he know what they were? Why had he never mentioned it when he was my client?

"Tsume, what are you talking about?" I asked, turning him towards me.

"I never told you, but you remember how I used to come in all beat up and say I got into a fight after school?"

"You came in with a huge gash in your arm once and told me someone pulled a knife on you. Was that really from one of those monsters?"

"Yeah. They've been coming after me for a year now and I've been fighting them off," Tsume answered.

"How effective are you?" Renji asked and I glared at him. He was being hypercritical.

"I'm still alive, aren't I? I don't go home injured as much. I'd say I'm doing a decent job."

"What can you do?" Tsume smirked and held up one hand. The tips of his fingers began glowing and sharpened to a point. They looked vaguely like claws.

"These things cut through almost anything. I _will_ be useful and I'll help you get Toshiro back from wherever he is." At that moment, Rangiku ran through the door with and annoyed expression on her face.

"What's taking you?" she asked impatiently, startling Tsume.

He jumped back and flung his arm forward, throwing the spiritual claws at her. Rangiku ducked and was standing in front of Tsume with her sword at his throat, all in a matter of seconds. The teenager's eyes were widened in shock, but I saw him forming more claws at his fingertips. Tsume always was resourceful. I stepped in between the two, pulling them apart.

"Calm down," I ordered, my hand on each of their shoulders. I still didn't understand why Rangiku wore a long, white vest with the number ten on it, nor had I had the chance to ask.

"She tried to kill me!" Tsume exclaimed.

"You attacked first, kid," Rangiku retorted, sheathing her zanpakuto.

"Rangiku, this is Tsume, a former client of mine. Tsume, this is Rangiku Matsumoto. She's helping in the search for my brother. I don't want you fighting each other."

"Let me help, then," Tsume insisted.

"We don't have time to be arguing, least of all here. We can sort it out at Urahara's place," Rangiku answered and turned to leave, not bothering to wait for us. That woman was the most confusing person I'd ever met. One minute, she could be your best friend and the next, she could be a skilled killer. I shook my head and finished putting away my work before we could leave.

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**Please R&R**


	19. Chapter 18

**Grr... another short one. Oh well, at least I finally put in the part where Toshiro died. Hopefully it turned out well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

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Toshiro ran as fast as his legs could carry him. His lungs burned in his chest and his breathing continued to grow more ragged. The muscles in his legs protested with a stinging burn in each step he took. He didn't know how long he'd been in that place, Las Noches, as he'd come to know it. Time appeared to stand still in this world. Inside the walls, it was always day and outside the fortress walls, he was plunged into perpetual night. The words the leader of the realm, Aizen, had spoken still rang clearly in his mind. _Your name is Toshiro Hitsugaya and ten years ago, I ended your life._

Toshiro shook his head, tears falling from his eyes and a lump forming in his throat. It only became harder to breathe. It scared him to think of all he'd learned. His life had been in jeopardy since his birth, and Minako's by extension. All his strange dreams were memories of his time as a Soul Reaper, the captain of Division Ten. All the people he felt he recognized were his friends from before. He even remembered his own death…

_Toshiro was surrounded by his allies, all of them injured. Very few could still fight, and they'd only been able to take down the Arrancar and Tousen. Even the Vizards had been unable to his Aizen or kill Gin. Ichigo Kurosaki, the only one who could have overcome Aizen's zanpakuto, had even fallen victim. The chance of victory was slim to none, but he had to try one last time. Toshiro's bankai was about to run out on him. He had one shot at this. In a series of flash-steps, he'd found himself face-to-face with Sousuke Aizen. Toshiro's zanpakuto, the ever-faithful Hyorinmaru, made contact with Aizen's shoulder, surrounding the traitor – the bastard – in a block of ice. Before he had a chance to assess the situation, pain ripped through Toshiro's chest._

_Everything became clear in that instant._

_The image of the frozen Aizen disappeared, revealing the real traitor alive and well. A smirk formed on Aizen's lips and Toshiro bit back a curse. He'd fallen for one of the former captain's illusions, _again_. The sword was ripped from Toshiro's heart and the iron taste of blood invaded his sense of taste as he gasped. Within a second, Aizen's zanpakuto slid across the young captain's throat, nearly decapitating him._

_Blood began pouring from each broken vein as he plummeted to the earth. Windows and buildings passed by him at an alarming rate. Stars were forming in Toshiro's vision, but he couldn't close his eyes. They warm liquid that was his life-force flowed over his face and into his hair. His haori was stained as well._

"_Captain!" It was his lieutenant who had screamed that. Toshiro knew he'd never see her, or any of his friends, again. _I failed, Momo._ When he hit the ground, he wished he'd died then. The pain that screamed from his body was excruciating. He wouldn't be getting up again. The last thing he heard was the anguished cry of Momo Hinamori, his childhood friend._

"_Shiro-chan!"_

Toshiro's fists clenched tighter as he ran, the tears flowing freely down his face. He knew everything about his time as a Soul Reaper. It was the reason he'd been able to use ice like he did. His spiritual pressure was the reason Aizen was after him. He'd caused an imbalance and killing Toshiro would make it irreversible. Aizen would win the war against the Soul Reapers. Toshiro wouldn't allow that and he'd finally managed to escape.

As he glanced around, he found himself to be hopelessly lost. Everything looked the same in this realm, Hueco Mundo. It was like a desert. Toshiro looked behind him and was shocked to see that the fortress still appeared so close. He'd been running for hours, but that made no difference in his perception. Toshiro stumbled and fell to his knees, sobbing into the sand. His lungs hurt and every muscle screamed in pain, but he couldn't stop the tears that racked his body.

"Why are you crying?" a feminine voice asked as a gentle hand rested on Toshiro's shoulder.

The boy jumped and pushed himself away, his eyes wide. The woman before him was tall and thin, though with a very large chest. She was dressed in dark clothes, as though to hide herself in any shadows. The woman's skin was pale, though she had a red streak across the bridge of her nose and under her gray eyes. She had long green hair and a cracked ram's skull atop her head.

"W-Who are you?" Toshiro asked shakily

"My name is Neliel Tu Oderschvank."

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**Please R&R.**


	20. Chapter 19

**GAH! I hate having such short chapters... that's what happens when I write my story in a composition notebook... my sense of length gets shot... anyway, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only own Minako and Tsume.**

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I tapped my foot impatiently on the ground of Kisuke's training room. Tsume stood beside me, his features set with determination. He and I had been training for a week, bettering our skills. Thankfully, Kisuke had fully agreed with the idea of Tsume joining us. There was strength in numbers. Chad, Orihime, Uryuu, Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, Tsume and I were all going to Hueco Mundo to retrieve my brother at all costs. Kisuke had warned us of the dangers involved and instructed us to run straight through the gate once it opened.

"Be ready for anything," Ichigo warned. In the week past, I'd learned to focus my shockwave, forcing all my released energy on a focal point. Despite that, I'd been told I was extremely vulnerable to attack in Hueco Mundo.

"Someone is approaching the gate," Tessai said, catching us by surprise.

"Can you tell what it is?" Uryuu asked. Tessai shook his head.

"Only that they're extremely powerful. There are two of them."

My hands began trembling in anticipation. Had Aizen known of us coming? Did he send someone to take us out before we could save my brother? Ichigo took his zanpakuto from his back while Rukia, Renji and Rangiku all unsheathed theirs. The gate opened on its own, revealing two figures. As soon as I saw them, tears welled in my eyes and my body began trembling.

"Shiro-chan!" I cried and ran forward, throwing my arms around my little brother. I couldn't stop my tears, or my shockwave, as I kissed his cheeks and forehead countless times. Toshiro's arms were wrapped tightly around me as I kissed away his tears. "I was so afraid I'd lost you."

"I told you, Mina-chan. You'll never really lose me," he answered.

"Ichigo!" a woman exclaimed and I heard the aforementioned Soul Reaper grunt before a _thud_.

I pulled away from Toshiro just enough to see the woman who'd escorted him hugging Ichigo tightly. I also saw the other Soul Reapers standing back up after being knocked to the ground from the shockwave I'd emitted. The woman hugging Ichigo was a beauty with long green hair and I could tell she was an Arrancar by the ram's skull attached to the top of her head. Ichigo had explained that there were some Arrancar that weren't evil and were, in fact, trying to help the Soul Society from Hueco Mundo. He'd said he knew a few of them personally.

"That's Nel-chan. She found me after I escaped from Las Noches. She was the one who helped me get back," Toshiro explained. I slowly stood, keeping one arm around my brother to hold him close.

"Nel?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't be offended by my use of my brother's nickname for her. She looked up from hugging Ichigo with a questioning expression. It gave her a more child-like appearance.

"Hmmm?" she inquired.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for my brother."

"My pleasure."

"Hey, Toshiro!" Tsume greeted, kneeling in front of my brother and ruffling his hair. I could see tears forming in the young man's eyes. He wasn't overly emotional, and I knew how happy he was just by looking at his eyes.

"Captain," Rangiku whispered, stepping forward.

"Tsume! Matsumoto!" Toshiro exclaimed and I stared at him in shock.

"How do you know her?" I asked.

"She was my lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. Mina-chan, I'm the reincarnation-"

"-of a Gotei 13 captain. I know. They told me. How do you know?"

"I've always remembered, but in my sleep. Aizen told me my dreams were memories. I remember a lot of when I was a Soul Reaper."

"Are you okay?" My brother nodded and then turned to look at Kisuke.

"Mr. Urahara, is there any way I can be a Soul Reaper again?" he asked. I could only stare at him in shock.

"Shiro-chan…"

"There _is_ a way," Kisuke answered, "but I don't think any of you will like it."

"What do I have to do?" Toshiro asked firmly. There was a new determination in his voice that I'd only heard an inkling of when he'd decided he wanted to fight.

"You'll have to die."

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**DUN DUN DUN! lol. Please R&R.**


	21. Chapter 20

**YES! Over a thousand words in this chapter! ...Sorry, I get excited over the little things. Anyway, here is the next chapter where quite a bit of arguing will be going on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only have Minako and any other OC in the mix.**

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I could only stare in complete and utter shock and fear when I'd heard Kisuke's words. My brother had to _die_ to become a Soul Reaper? I supposed in many ways it made sense, but I certainly wasn't going to allow it. I shook my head as my grip around my brother's shoulders tightened.

"Are you crazy?!" Tsume demanded, speaking the words on my mind. "He's ten years old. Wasn't the point of this little team to get him back so he _wouldn't_ die?!"

"You didn't let me finish. If Toshiro were to simply die, it would cause the imbalance to become irreversible and Aizen would likely win this war. There's a specific way for Toshiro to become a Soul Reaper, rather than just a Substitute Soul Reaper, like Ichigo," Kisuke explained. A slightly confused expression crossed Tsume's enraged features. He hadn't been given as much of an explanation as I'd had, so he didn't know much of the terminology.

"What is that?" I asked apprehensively.

"He must be stabbed by his own zanpakuto, through his heart." Toshiro flinched beside me and I felt numb for a moment. Had I heard him correctly?

"Wh-What are… You can't be… N-no. No!" I stumbled over my words, unable to express myself. "Absolutely not!"

"Minako," Uryuu started.

"No! I've spent ten years protecting my brother. I'm not going to let you kill him!"

"Please, calm down," Orihime pleaded. I took Toshiro's hand in mine and began walking, ignoring the words of the people I'd called friends for the past months. I was slowed when I felt Toshiro resisting.

"I don't want to leave," he said.

"This isn't up for discussion."

"Minako, please." I stopped in my tracks then. Toshiro _never_ used my first name. There wasn't a single time in his live that he had, even when he was angry at me. To not hear the word 'Mina-chan' come from him was surreal.

"Sh-Shiro-chan," I whispered sadly, staring down at my little brother. His eyes no longer held the child-like innocence they used to, not the same kind. Now, he seemed like someone who had witnessed an atrocity second-hand: still innocent, but forever changed.

"I have to do this. I have to stop Aizen."

"What makes you think you'll be able to, Toshiro? They told me he killed you before with little difficulty. What's to stop him again? I don't want you to die, least of all twice!"

"You're all assuming we have the zanpakuto," Kisuke interrupted. My head snapped up as I turned my attention on him. "All of this arguing is useless without Toshiro's zanpakuto."

"It's still useless because Aizen will try to kill Toshiro anyway," Nel answered. She and Ichigo were standing side-by-side, but she was latched to his arm. "I've Aizen wants someone dead, he'll stop at nothing to accomplish his goal."

"We have the zanpakuto," Renji said and I groaned.

"I hoped you wouldn't," I murmured.

"Minako, what choice do we have? Toshiro _needs_ to gain his full strength back if any of us want to keep him alive," Rukia protested.

"But he'll be dead as a Soul Reaper! That's how it works, isn't it?! You have to run around in a gigai just so you can be seen by normal people, people who can't see spirits!"

"You're being selfish!" Renji yelled cruelly. "You don't want him to die because you think you'll lose him forever! If he dies by Aizen's hands, you really _will_ lose your brother! If you let him become a Soul Reaper, at least he'll still be around!"

"Well, how would you feel?!" Tsume demanded, defending me in my loss of words. "Toshiro's all she has left. Their parents died in a car accident six years ago and they've never had any other family to go to. Minako's been raising him on her own for six years. How would you feel if the only family you had left was told they were going to die?"

"None of us said it was fair. Rangiku, go get the sword."

"Right," the woman answered and a strange, traditional-style doorway appeared. Before stepping through the door, she turned to me. "I'm sorry." With that, she disappeared.

"You're just going to kill a child?!" Tsume yelled and ran at Renji, his claws looking for blood. Before he could get within ten feet of the red-haired Soul Reaper, he was thrown back by Renji's zanpakuto. It had split into segments that could separate and reattach. Tsume was unharmed, if a little shocked. The only blood came from his split lip as he landed on the ground.

"Both of you, stop it!" I ordered and focused my shockwave on Renji, forcing him to the ground. At the same time, I held Tsume down, temporarily leaving my brother's side.

"I would've thought you'd use that on them before," Tsume muttered angrily.

"Toshiro's not going to be harmed, no mater what they want."

"But Minako," Toshiro started.

"You are ten years old and I'm your legal guardian. I've let you do a lot lately that I didn't fully agree with, but this is where I draw the line. You're not becoming a Soul Reaper again and that's final."

"You can't stop me!"

"Do you want to wager on that, Otouto-san?" It wasn't often I used the word for 'little brother' with Toshiro. I most often reserved it for times when I wanted to be affectionate or very serious with him. In this case, I was expressing my authority over him, something I'd only had to do when he was a small child.

"I don't want to hurt you, Nee-_sama_." The cheeky attitude he'd displayed shocked me. What happened to my little brother in the week he'd been gone? Or had this always been under the surface and I'd missed it until now? Tsume seemed shocked as well, never seeing this side of Toshiro before.

"Toshiro Kitamura, stop this right now!"

"No! You stop! You don't care what happens to Rukia-chan, or Renji or anyone! I'm going to be a Soul Reaper again and I won't let you stop me!" my brother screamed and ran off, towards the ladder leading to Kisuke's shop. I didn't stop him, nor did anyone else; I couldn't move.

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**I'd first like to point out the change in terminology I used. It was brought to my attention that I was using the wrong word for brother (but by the time I realized it, I'd already deleted the chapter from my document manager and couldn't fix it). So, the word for 'little brother' is, as stated, "Otouto-san".**

**Now, some people who know a little bit about the Japanese language may be confused as to why "-sama" was bad for Toshiro to use. Well, when used incorrectly, "-sama" can be seen as being cheeky. Imagine saying "Your Highness" at the end of someone's name when using it. It is actually very rarely used (except in certain cases as is seen in the Bleach series). It is normally best to NOT use the suffix -sama at the end of someones name because it can be taken the wrong way. Because it is hard to show this in writing, I decided to emphasize the suffix when Toshiro spoke, to hopefully show the attitude he was giving Minako.**

**Anyway, there's my little lesson for today. lol. Please R&R.**


	22. Chapter 21

**-sigh- Less than a thousand words, but not by much... I can deal with it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

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I could only stare after my brother in shock, tears clouding my vision. Toshiro's words had stung, but not nearly as much as the emotions he'd expressed. He may as well have said he hated me. I placed my hand over my mouth, trembling lightly. A soft sob escaped my lips and I dropped to my knees, trying – and failing – to hold back my tears. Toshiro and I had always been so close; we were all we had for family. Never before had he screamed at me so vehemently. It felt like a dagger through my heart and I couldn't stop the sobs that shook my body. I could hear a few others grunt and looked up to see the Soul Reapers floored. Nel seemed surprised, but still able to keep herself up.

"Minako," Tsume whispered sympathetically, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Everything will be fine. You'll see," Orihime said, her positive attitude still remaining.

"How can you say that?" I asked. "How can you say that everything will be fine when my brother hates me?!"

"He doesn't hate you. You're his sister."

"It doesn't seem like he sees me that way. You saw him."

"He wants to help." I rubbed the tears from my eyes and looked away. How could I allow my brother to become a Soul Reaper? I'd promised to protect him always. What kind of sister would I be if I idly stood by and watched him die?

"I can't let him," I answered softly. By this time, the Soul Reapers were all standing again, no longer affected by my ability.

"You know, you probably wouldn't be able to stop him even if you tried. He's a stubborn kid. He's Toshiro Hitsugaya," Ichigo said.

"He's Toshiro Kitamura!"

"And that only adds to it. You and your brother are stubborn people. You don't back down and you stand for what you believe is right. Now you're not agreeing, and you're both too stubborn to back down."

"Then what do you propose I do?"

"Ask yourself why it's right to keep Toshiro as he is. Then ask yourself why he wants to be a Soul Reaper. You'll find your answer that way."

To that, I had no answer. How was I to decide what was more right? I didn't want Toshiro to become a Soul Reaper because he would die and be placed in more danger. He still had his whole life ahead of him. Toshiro wanted to become a Soul Reaper to protect the people he cared about. Boiled down, we had the same reason. Who was more justified?

"I don't know," I murmured with a sigh.

"It takes time."

"Time that we don't' have."

At that moment, the strange traditional-style door reappeared. Rangiku stepped forward, carrying a sword and a folded white cloth. My heart clenched as I stared at her. She refused to meet my eyes. I shifted my gaze to the sword she carried, knowing it was Toshiro's zanpakuto. No one spoke or moved, sensing the tense feeling in the air.

"Where is he?" Rangiku finally asked, her voice somber.

"He ran off," Kisuke answered. "He's up in the shop, letting off some steam."

"Rangiku," I whispered, "is… is that his zanpakuto?"

"Yes," she answered. I stood and took a step towards her.

"Can I hold it?"

Rangiku glanced at someone behind me before nodding apprehensively. She stepped forward and I took the sword from her hands. It was relatively light for a sword and I could only guess how skilled Toshiro had once been with it. The hilt of the zanpakuto was wrapped in a beautiful lavender cloth and the black sheath was smooth to the touch. I drew the zanpakuto from its sheath and stared at my reflection in the perfectly polished, sharpened blade. Even the hand-guard was finely crafted, shaped like a four-pointed star.

"Wow," I heard Tsume say, breathing out the word.

"What's its name?" Rangiku looked surprised by my question, like she hadn't expected me to know about the names. I'd learn from my time with Renji that his zanpakuto was named Zabimaru. Rukia's was Sode no Shirayuki.

"It's Hyorinmaru," Rangiku answered and I smiled softly.

"Strong name. It's such a beautiful sword."

"A zanpakuto is an extension of its wielder's soul." I took a deep breath, contemplating what she'd said. Many times before I'd heard the others tell me that. Only now did it really mean something to me. I sighed heavily and sheathed Hyorinmaru.

"I think I understand now," I murmured. Hyorinmaru was an extension of Toshiro's Soul. It showed my brother's strength and beauty, in his own way. The two were bonded closer than I could've ever been to my little brother. I was putting my faith in Hyorinmaru now. "Someone get Toshiro… I don't think he'll listen to me."

"I'll get him," Rukia said and turned away, disappearing in an instant.

"You're name is Mina-chan, right?" Nel asked, surprising me. I turned to face her with a small smile. It sounded like Toshiro had spoken to her about me.

"Yeah, it is," I answered.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to do the right thing."

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**Please R&R.**


	23. Chapter 22

**Another chapter for you guys.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

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Toshiro came down the ladder with Rukia, though he seemed a bit more apprehensive than I would have liked. As he approached, I found myself staring at him. His white hair that I'd always loved was thick and messy atop his head. The teal eyes I'd forever cherish had always shone with a child-like innocence. They now displayed the inner strength I'd always known Toshiro had. White, traditional Japanese pants rustled with each step he took and his matching shirt was a close fit, nothing like the shihakusho of the Soul Reapers. Tears brimmed my eyes as I took it all in. I quickly swiped them away before giving my brother a bittersweet smile.

"Toshiro," I said. "I, uh… I've come to a realization after some thought. I believe you're mature enough to make your own decision on this matter. If that means I have to lose – I mean –" I sighed. "I want you to do what _you_ believe is right." I stared down at Hyorinmaru in my hands before kneeling down and hugging Toshiro. When I pulled away, I handed the zanpakuto to him. Toshiro looked at Hyorinmaru and hugged me again.

"Thank you, Nee-chan. I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, Otouto-chan." I kissed his forehead and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Are you ready?" Kisuke asked and I stared up at him.

"So soon?"

"The sooner the better." I looked to Toshiro and he nodded.

"I don't want to do it alone, though," he answered. I could see from his white knuckles on the sword that he was afraid. I felt terrible. I wanted to help him, but there was nothing I could do. I could barely stand the idea of watching it happen.

"What do you want help with, Toshiro?" Tsume asked.

"I don't wanna stab myself!" I wrapped one arm around Toshiro and rubbed his shoulder. "Someone else do it." I stopped and stared at him.

"What?" I demanded.

"It's perfectly understandable. After all, this goes against basic survival instincts. I wouldn't be surprised if someone had to hold him down as well," Kisuke answered. Toshiro looked up at me and I was reminded just how young he was.

"Mina-chan, I want your help. I want you to hold me still."

"Toshiro, I don't know if I can. If I panic, I might stop whoever's holding the sword."

"I trust you, Mina-chan. Tsume, will you use Hyorinmaru?"

"How do you know its name?"

"I just… remembered it. Will you, Tsume?" I looked to the young man for his answer. Tsume closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh.

"I… I can't do it. I can't kill you, Toshiro. I'd sooner ram that sword into my chest than into yours," he answered. I could sympathize with him. That was the same reason I couldn't do that.

"Toshiro, I'll do it," Ichigo volunteered. In his voice, I could hear his dread, though he felt it was something that needed to be done.

"Thank you, Ichigo," my brother answered with a nervous smile. He handed his zanpakuto to Ichigo and stepped back so that he was standing beside me.

"You'll be fine, Captain," Rangiku encouraged with a small smile. I wrapped my arms around Toshiro, under his heart. I held him tightly as both a means of restraining him, and to cherish my final moments with him as my brother.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked, unsheathing Hyorinmaru.

Toshiro squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. I watched as Ichigo quickly approached. Toshiro began trembling in my arms and I closed my eyes as well, holding him tighter. I heard the sickening sound of a blade meeting flesh and Toshiro cried out. A bright light shone through my eyelids and I could feel my brother changing. He seemed to have more toned muscles and grew a little in size. As the light dimmed, I opened my eyes and looked at my brother. No longer was he the thin, wiry ten-year-old boy I'd helped raise. He only looked a couple years older, but as battle hardened as a soldier. Toshiro no longer wore the white clothes he'd returned in, but the same black clothes Ichigo, Rukia, Renji and Rangiku wore. I released my brother and leaned back, sitting on my calves.

"T-Toshiro?" I whispered and he glanced down at me.

"Good to have you back, Toshiro," Ichigo said with a grin, handing him the now sheathed Hyorinmaru. Toshiro took the sword in his hands and stared up at Ichigo.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki," he answered sharply. His voice was much deeper and held an authority I'd never before heard.

"Captain," Rangiku said, stepping forwards. She was no longer wearing her white vest – haori – but she still held the folded cloth from before in her hands. She gave it to Toshiro and he unfolded it, revealing it to be a much smaller haori with the number ten on the back He shrugged it on before putting Hyorinmaru on his back with a teal strap. "You're back!" Rangiku stacked Toshiro to the ground with a hug, which he seemed less than pleased about.

"Matsumoto, get off of me!" Toshiro ordered.

Rangiku stood, a cat-like smile on her lips. Toshiro dusted himself off, casting an annoyed glance at his lieutenant, and looked around at the rest of us. Orihime seemed to be as overjoyed as Rangiku while Kisuke, Ichigo, Uryuu, Rukia and Renji all appeared content. Nel didn't seem affected by the transformation, leaving me to believe she was neutral on the matter. Tsume's face expressed shock and fury. I hadn't seen him like this since his early days in my office, when the slightest thing would enrage him.

"Bastards," he muttered.

"Tsume," I started.

"Couldn't just let him be a kid, could you? You all had to force him to become what you wanted!"

"They didn't force me to do anything, Tsume," Toshiro answered sharply. He'd never spoken to Tsume like that before. Was anything left of my brother, or had a complete stranger emerged?

"No, but they all wanted it!"

"And you think _I_ wanted any different? I'm a Soul Reaper."

"But you were taken out in battle! Minako told me about it. When you were reborn, that was your chance to start over."

"And who said I _wanted_ to start anew?"

Tsume scowled and licked his split lip. He was more than just angry. He was hurt. Tsume had always seen Toshiro as a brother of his own. We were his surrogate family in that respect. Toshiro and I had rarely seen him in the past year because he'd been out living his own life, but he often wrote to us when he'd found time. For Tsume to be losing the Toshiro he'd always know, I feared it would be too much.

"You don't even care anymore, do you?" he demanded. Toshiro seemed to be caught off-guard for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"Don't be stupid," he answered. I flinched at his words. "I'm not allowed to care. I can't favor any one person over another."

"So I mean nothing to you? What about Minako, your _sister_? Or Rukia, Renji and Ichigo? Just a couple hours ago, you yelled at your sister, breaking her down, because you wanted to do this to protect them! Was that you, or was that the Toshiro I knew?!"

"He's the same person," Orihime said in an attempt to diffuse the situation. It only made Tsume scowl even more.

"No he's not. The Toshiro I knew wasn't a heartless bastard," he answered harshly, turning to walk away. "Call me if you need me, Minako."

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**Tsume's a bit of a hot-head when it comes to Toshiro, but I love it. :D Please R&R.**


	24. Chapter 23

**I finally got around to updating this. I've been a bit of writer's block around chapter 28-29. See, I'm at point A and I need to get to point B... I've just gotta fill up the time between the points so that I don't do one of those 'one month later' bits because I hate those. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. I only have my OCs.**

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The air was tense after Tsume left and it didn't seem like anyone wanted to break the silence. I wasn't sure if any of them were shocked, didn't know what to say, or didn't want to say anything to offend me. All of them, with the exception of Nel, knew how close I was to Tsume. I sighed softly before looking up at Toshiro.

"Shiro –ah, I mean, Captain Hitsugaya," I started, drawing his attention. "What do you plan to do now?" I couldn't think of anything else to say. How could I say that I agreed whole-heartedly with Tsume? How could I ask if there was any part of my brother in the Soul Reaper before me? All I _could_ ask was what we would do next.

"I'm going to make sure Aizen goes down," he answered sternly.

"We all need more time to prepare," Kisuke said, his voice calm and serious. "Now that getting you back isn't top priority, we should _have_ time to really prepare. Someone should explain what's happened to the Soul Society."

"I'll go. I'll tell Head Captain Yamamoto what happened."

"Toshiro, you should probably just go home with Minako and get some rest," Ichigo suggested.

"Don't mistake me for a child, Kurosaki."

"Captain Hitsugaya is right. It would be best if he explains it all from his point of view," Renji answered. I sighed heavily and stood, dusting off my pants.

"I agree," I said. "Toshiro, I trust your judgment." He nodded, staring up at me. His eyes no longer held any hint of innocence. They were worldly wise and hardened from harsh experiences I couldn't begin to imagine.

"It's settled, then. You can all go home while Captain Hitsugaya returns to the Soul Society. He'll give his report and, with any luck, return with news," Kisuke said, his voice lighter than before.

I turned away without another word and began on my way up the ladder. My hands trembled from the swirling, mixed emotions I was feeling. I wasn't sure how I felt about the new Toshiro. Somewhere deep inside of him, I hoped some part of my little brother remained. At the same time, I was afraid there wasn't. When I was almost halfway up the ladder, I felt an arm wrap around my waist and I was in Kisuke's shop in a matter of seconds, my breath caught in my throat. Renji released me and took a step back, allowing me to breathe again, and I gave him a small, grateful smile.

"Thanks, Renji," I murmured and walked out of the shop.

For the first time since he was captured, I was walking home without my brother. I felt numb as I walked with Renji right beside me. The silence was something I was both grateful for and hated. I felt as if I'd truly lost my brother, despite what he'd always said. When we arrived at my house, I locked the door behind me and simply stood in the hallway. Renji didn't leave to retrieve his gigai and instead stood in front of me. He seemed to have something on his mind, but didn't speak for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you," he finally staid and I shook my head with a soft smile.

"It's fine. I understand why you acted the way you did," I answered, my voice breaking. I took a ragged breath to try and steady myself.

"Are you okay?" I finally broke and shook my head as the tears fell from my eyes.

"No."

I rested my head on his shoulder and cried heavily. Sobs racked my body as my tears soaked the fabric of Renji's shihakusho. Renji tensed and awkwardly placed a hand on my back. I gripped the front of his shihakusho tightly, my knuckles aching from the pressure I'd used. "He's really gone, isn't he?" Renji flinched.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding surprised by my question.

"Where is my brother?" I asked, looking up at Renji. "I don't see him in that captain."

"He's there, I promise you."

"Then who's the one in control? My brother or your captain?"

"Captain Hitsugaya was always like that. It was probably one of the few things we Soul Reapers could count on. Now that he's back to his old self, he has the same limitations he had before. What you saw in your brother was a side of Captain Hitsugaya that the rest of us never had a chance to see," he explained.

"So I'll never have Toshiro back again." Renji pulled me away from himself and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders, staring directly into my eyes.

"Don't be stupid, Minako. You had too big an impact on the kid for you to lose him." I wiped the tears from my eyes, though that didn't stop more from falling.

"Thank you, Renji," I whispered before pulling away from him and walking down the hall, to my room.

* * *

As Toshiro Hitsugaya walked through the streets of Seireitei with Rangiku, he noticed the many stares he received from the other Soul Reapers. Many of them were people he'd never met, but seen in passing. Whispers permeated the air, all involving the phrases 'really him', 'supposed to be dead', and 'ten years'. Hitsugaya had to admit, he would've had the same reaction had he been in their place.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" someone asked. The captain in question turned to see the familiar face of a bald man with a lust for battle. He was Ikkaku Madarame. "Well, I'll be damned. Where've you been for the past ten years?"

"Living," Hitsugaya answered simply, a slight smirk on his lips.

"Why didn't the rest of us hear about it?"

"It was meant to be kept secret," Rangiku answered. "So he'd be better protected."

"Well, it's good to have you back. You should go see Captain Hinamori."

Hitsugaya nodded, thinking back to his childhood friend. She'd sounded devastated when he was killed by Aizen. It sounded as though she'd done well for herself, perhaps giving up on the notion that Aizen was still good. Hitsugaya sighed; he could only hope. As he and Rangiku neared the area of the Fifth Division, more whispers and stares came. A few people even ran ahead, presumably to give their captain the news. When they came to the building in which the captains' office was held, a young woman could be seen already waiting outside. She was thin, pale and of average height, though that still left her taller than Hitsugaya. Her black hair was held in a bun atop her head and she looked very much like the young woman Hitsugaya had always known. The only differences he could see were the captain's haori over her shoulders and the lack of naivety in her eyes. Those eyes were wide in shock and filled with tears.

"Shiro-chan, is that really you?" she asked shakily. Hitsugaya gave her a small, friendly smile.

"I told you, it's Captain Hitsugaya now," he answered and Momo Hinamori smiled, wiping her eyes.

"It _is_ you."

"Of course. I see you're doing well, Captain Hinamori."

"It's Momo to you," she answered with a grin.

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**I actually wrote something else that switched POV without being ubber short. lol. Please R&R.**


	25. Chapter 24

**I finally got around to updating again. lol. I don't know how long it's been because I've been working three or four stories at once, but yeah. lol. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Dislcaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only get Minako, Tsume and any other random OC added in.**

* * *

I awoke in the morning to the sound of glass breaking against a hard surface. I groaned tiredly and rubbed my eyes, which were no doubt red from the crying I'd done the night before. Shrugging on a robe over my pajamas, I left my room and walked to the kitchen. There, I saw Renji standing over a broken plate and water glass.

"Renji, what happened?" I asked groggily.

"Wrong one, nyah," he answered and I groaned lightly, realizing it was Renji's troublemaking Modsoul. I ran my hand through my messy, knotted hair.

"Ginnosukem, what on earth were you doing? Never mind. Just clean it up and don't leave any glass behind."

"Rough night?" He had a glint in his eyes and a tone in his voice that implied more than his words. I scoffed in disgust, rolling my eyes.

"Shut up and clean your mess Why are you in the gigai anyway?"

"The boss has been out all night after Hollows, nyah. A huge group of 'em came through," the Modsoul explained, grabbing a broom and dustpan from the pantry. I frowned slightly at his answer. There had been an influx of Hollows in the middle of the night?

"Why didn't anyone get me? I could've helped." This only brought a laugh from Ginnosukem.

"You couldn't tell me from the boss this morning. You would end up hitting the good guys, nyah. Besides, boss told me not to wake you."

"Little late for that," I muttered and turned to go back to my room. Once I had the door shut behind me, I walked over to my dresser and changed my clothes for the day. I quickly brushed my hair and finished getting ready before heading to the living room. Before I could reach it, I heard another crash, though this one sounded much more solid.

"Whoa, you got beat up pretty bad, nyah," Ginnosukem exclaimed and I ran through the house to where I'd heard him. Just inside the closed front door, I found Toshiro, Renji and Ginnosukem. Toshiro was badly injured, but still standing, which was more than I could say for Renji. He'd collapsed to the ground, blood beginning to pool around him.

"Oh my God!" I yelled and kneeled beside the two Soul Reapers. "What happened to you two?!"

"There were too many Hollows," Toshiro answered weakly, pressing his hand against the wall to keep himself standing.

"Ginnosukem, go get the medical kit and call Orihime. We need her _now_." The Modsoul quickly ran to do as I'd asked while I sat Toshiro down and turned Renji so that he wasn't facedown on the ground. He was still conscious, which surprised me greatly. "You're both idiots. What were you thinking? You should have brought me with you."

"That would've been worse. You'd be just as injured as us, if not killed," Toshiro answered, gripping his bleeding forearm. I frowned and looked over my shoulder.

"Ginnosukem, hurry up!" I turned my head back to Toshiro. "A bunch of Hollows did this? I thought they weren't that big a deal for Soul Reapers."

"There were Arrancar as well," Renji answered and my eyes widened. I'd known that Arrancar were more powerful than regular Hollows, and more intelligent.

"Arrancar? But Doesn't Aizen control them?"

"He probably sent them to weaken us."

"It worked, nyah," Ginnosukem answered, setting the medical kit on the ground.

He also had the phone in his hand, the dial tone buzzing loudly. I took it from him and quickly dialed Orihime and Uryuu's number. Shoving the phone back to Ginnosukem, I turned my attention back to the Soul Reapers in front of me. For a moment, I glanced between them before deciding Renji's were more fatal. I opened his shihakusho, exposing his bloodied torso, and resisted the urge to cringe. It was moments like these that I wished I had more substantial medical skills. A large gash had been sliced diagonally across his chest, starting at the left shoulder.

"You're lucky they didn't get your heart, you idiot," I muttered, opening the medical kit and pulling out the supplies I needed to clean and tend to his wound.

"Do you know how to use half of what's in that box?" Toshiro asked, cocking an eyebrow. I glanced at him before sighing.

"Only the basics. I'm not a doctor, Toshiro. You know that. The best I can do it stop you both from bleeding to death before Orihime comes."

I quickly tended to the worst of Renji's wounds, doing what I could to stop the bleeding. After ordering Ginnosukem to keep pressure on the injuries, I turned to Toshiro. He wasn't quite as bad as Renji, though I still had my work cut out for me. I thanked every higher power to Toshiro returning without immediate risk of dying. I wouldn't have been able to handle it if he had. Orihime and Uryuu arrived only ten minutes later and I helped them move Toshiro and Renji to a better area.

"This is terrible," Orihime murmured as she began healing the two of them. I noticed a few cuts on Uryuu's face and arms, but he seemed no worse for wear. Had he encountered fewer Hollows, or had Orihime already healed him? I shook off the thought and turned to Ginnosukem.

"Make yourself useful and go clean the blood from the front hallway," I told him.

"Why do I have to clean everything?" he asked.

"Because you're not doing anything. Now go." Ginnosukem pouted before leaving the living room, muttering under his breath. I sighed softly and looked down at the two being treated. Before my eyes, their wounds shrunk until they disappeared, as though they'd never occurred. It never ceased to amaze me.

"You're lucky you weren't in the fights," Uryuu told me.

"I wish I had been. I might have been able to help then."

"There were too many. You wouldn't have lasted long against them. Ichigo and Rukia were badly injured as well. Orihime healed them last night."

"Does Aizen know what Orihime can do?"

"He kidnapped her ten years ago so he could use her ability," Toshiro answered and I frowned.

"Renji, your theory doesn't make sense. Why would he send Hollows and Arrancar to weaken you, knowing what Orihime can heal your wounds? It would be a game of tug-of-war."

"But how long do you think we can keep this up?" Renji asked. "He'll likely send more until we can't fight anymore, then he'll come himself."

"You think so?"

"It's a good theory," Uryuu answered. "But who knows what Aizen is really planning. The Arrancar we've been facing aren't like the ones from before."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They seem weaker than even the lower level Arrancar that were sent ten years ago."

"Remember, none of them have been Espada," Toshiro pointed out. That was a term I'd heard a few times, but never understood.

"What are Esapda?"

"They're Aizen's elite. They all have a number tattooed somewhere on them, like all Arrancar, but they are numbed from zero to nine. The lower their number, the stronger they are."

"Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki couldn't even defeat the strongest of them," Renji added, making me wonder if who these two other captains were. It sounded like they were strong, from the way Renji spoke of them.

"Either way, those Hollows last night were nothing compared to the Espada." My eyes widened in shock. This was nothing? Renji and Toshiro came home bleeding profusely and his was _nothing_? My heart stopped fro a moment and I thought of just what my brother had gotten himself into.

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**Fun stuff, huh? Please R&R.**


	26. Chapter 25

**I know I have this listed as discontinued, but I felt it only fair to let the people who actually enjoyed reading this story read up until where I was forced to stop. So, you get up to chapter 29. I hope you all enjoy these last few chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

* * *

I watched in silence as Renji and Toshiro sparred with each other. When I'd expressed my concern over the Espada, Ichigo insisted I watch Toshiro fight. I'd known Renji was strong from all my time training with him, and Toshiro was skilled, if not powerful, before his transformation. Now, I didn't know how strong he was, or how long he could last in a fight. Ichigo sat beside me on the high-ground as we watched the battle below. To be perfectly honest, I was awestruck by what I saw. Toshiro's skill with his sword was incredible. He cut through the air, narrowly missing the older Soul Reaper a few times. His zanpakuto didn't change in shape, unlike Renji's, which became almost as big as Ichigo's when not separated. There had been a few times in the beginning of the sparring session that Ichigo had to hold me back when Zabimaru went down on Toshiro. I still didn't know how much of my brother could be seen in the young captain, but I was sure he was there.

"Ichigo," I murmured as I kept my eyes trained on the fight below. "Do you really think we can win?"

"We have to," he answered.

"That doesn't help. The odds are probably stacked against us."

"It doesn't matter. When I became a Substitute Soul Reaper, Rukia broke some laws of the Soul Society. They sent her older brother and Renji to get her, against her will. I went to the Soul Society with Orihime, Chad and Uryuu. The odds were against us then, to the point where we probably would've died. I told myself I had to save Rukia and that I wouldn't accept any other option. We won." I turned my head to look at him, a small smile on my face.

"So, you believe we'll defeat Aizen?"

"We have to," he answered again. I turned my attention back to the sparring match below. Waves of ice surrounded Renji and Toshiro, no doubt from the younger one attacking. As I watched them, I though of their condition the morning before, when they'd nearly given me a heart attack.

"Just how strong are the Espada?" I asked after a moment, surprising Ichigo.

"They're pretty strong. I don't know about the new ones, but the Espada ten years ago were bad."

"_How_ bad?"

"The second weakest nearly killed Uryuu and beat the crap out of Renji, without even touching them. That's what they told me." My eyes widened and my hands began shaking. "He had this weird voodoo doll power that he used to shatter Uryuu's stomach and snap most of Renji's tendons. A Soul Reaper healed them after one of the captains saved them."

"He was one of the weakest Espada? They got worse?"

"Grimmjow was really hard to beat. And Ulquiorra killed me a couple times, but Orihime managed to heal me in time. I don't know about some of the others. There's only one of the original Espada left and he was the strongest."

"That's crazy. Why didn't anyone explain this before?"

"Because we don't know what they're like now. The Arrancar that attacked the day I met you wasn't an Espada. His number was eighty-five."

"So low?"

"That's just what order he was created. He's not powerful enough to get a ranking. That's just the Espada."

"Are there anymore types of Hollow I should know about? There are regular Hollows, Menos Grande, Adjuchas, Vasto Lordes, Arrancar, Espada… am I missing something?"

"There _is_ one, but you don't need to worry about them. They're on our side, more or less," Ichigo answered.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"They don't like most Soul Reapers, or the system, but they hate Aizen more. They'll help us, I think."

"Who does that not sound reassuring?"

"Don't worry about it. They won't turn on us, if that's what you're thinking. Not all Hollows are evil, you know."

"Like Nel," I murmured. "I can't thank her enough for bringing Toshiro back to us."

"That's now Nel is."

"That's a bit more comforting, I guess." As I focused back on Renji and Toshiro, I realized they had stopped fighting just moments before.

"That good enough for you?" Renji asked, poking fun at my worries for Toshiro. I smirked and stood.

"It'll do, I suppose," I answered with a chuckle. Both Renji and Toshiro appeared before me in a second and I took a half a step back. Even with all the time I'd spent with Soul Reapers, I still wasn't entirely used to the flash step.

"Told you he could hold his own," Ichigo said as he stood as well.

"I never said Toshiro couldn't. I just worry." At that, a loud, obnoxious beeping went off and Renji pulled a small, black cell phone from his shihakusho. I knew very well that it was not a phone, but a radar to track Hollow activity.

"How many?" Ichigo asked.

"Dozens," Renji answered, his eyes wide. Hollows never came this quickly under normal circumstances.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go," I said, stepping forward.


	27. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only get the OCs.**

* * *

We arrived at the scene where half a dozen Hollows appeared, a local park. They were invisible to the people around, but there were a few souls running in terror from the beasts trying to devour them. Renji released me after flash stepping and a little girl immediately ran to me, clutching my legs. She had short brown hair and looked to be between five and ten years of age. I rested a hand on her head as she sobbed and I could feel the chain bumping against my leg. She was a soul.

"Don't let them kill me!" she cried loudly, her fingers digging into my legs out of fear.

"We won't. You're safe now," I whispered gently, rubbing her back.

"Stay back and don't let a Hollow near you. As long as you have that girl with you, you can't fight," Toshiro instructed. I nodded, knowing my ability affected only spiritual beings. As I pulled the girl to a more hidden area, the Soul Reapers began attacking the Hollows.

"What's your name?" I asked the girl, trying to calm her.

"Shizuka," she answered shakily. I ducked behind a tree and held Shizuka close.

"That's a pretty name. Just calm down and I promise nothing will happen to you."

"What about Nii-san?" My heart skipped a beat.

"What?"

"Nii-san is in trouble."

I bit my lip to hold back a curse and glanced around the tree we were behind. It was a battlefield between Soul Reapers and Hollows. The humans had all run off, no doubt noticing the exploding trees, but I saw one person remaining. He was curled into a ball and his shoulders were trembling terribly. I turned back to Shizuka.

"Where is your brother?" I asked. She looked around me and pointed to the curled young man. I'd hoped she wouldn't.

"You gotta help Nii-san." I sighed and knelt down in front of Shizuka, forcing her to look into my eyes.

"Shizuka, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I'll bring you to your brother, but you have to stay with me and don't let go of me, no matter what happens. Do you understand?" She nodded. "Good, now get on my back."

Shizuka did so, clasping her hands together in front of my throat, and I ran into the battlefield as fast as my legs would take me. I could hear the others yelling at me, but ignored their words, refusing to stop until I was beside Shizuka's brother. Once I was, I dropped to my knees and rested a hand on his shoulder. The young man jumped and turned to look at me. When I saw him, I froze. His brown hair was tousled, and he had a few cuts on his face, but he was the same Kaname I worked with. I felt terrible, knowing I'd have to tell him about his younger sister. Then I noticed the two bodies in front of him. One was Shizuka's.

The other was Kaname's.

My mind stopped working for a moment as I stared at the chain hanging from his chest as fresh tears flowed down his face.

"Minako, what's going on?" he asked, his voice breaking. Before I could answer, I heard the sound of metal clashing. I turned to see Renji blocking the teeth of a Hollow.

"What the _hell_ are you_ doing_?" he demanded. "Get out of here!" I pulled Shizuka off my back and pushed her into her brother's arms. As I stood, I put my arms out in front of me.

"Move, Renji," I ordered. With my grief for Kaname and Shizuka only rising with each passing second, I was bound to kill something.

"What?"

"Move!"

Renji jumped out of the way and I unleashed a focused shockwave on the Hollow. It was shoved to the ground, flattened by the force of my pain. The Hollow began dissolving into bits of Spiritual Energy, floating into the sky. Renji's shock was evident for a moment before he had to pull his mind back into the fight. It was my first time actually killing a Hollow. Usually, I'd only ever had enough power to hold them down. Today was different. I turned back to Kaname and Shizuka, who were staring at me in both shock and fear.

"H-How did you do that?" Kaname asked.

"The same way I can see you now. Kaname, I'm sure you've realized now that you're no longer living. That's why you can see those beasts and my friends. For now, I need to keep you and your sister safe," I answered. Kaname nodded shakily and I stood guard around the two of them, keeping all Hollows away from them. The fight was soon over and I was approached by Ichigo, Toshiro and Renji.

"Dry your eyes," Toshiro murmured softly and it was at that moment I realized I'd been crying. I quickly brushed my tears away before turning to face Kaname and Shizuka. Looking at the two of them, I couldn't bare the thought of them dying so young. It was how I felt when Toshiro was to become a Soul Reaper again only days before.

"Is there any way from them to continue living?" I asked.

"No," Ichigo answered. "If the chains were still attached to their bodies, there could have been a chance. As it is now, there's no going back. We have to perform a konso."

"A what?" Kaname asked frantically, his arms tightening around his seven-year-old sister. I'd heard so much about the sweet little girl from him before.

"A Soul Burial," Renji answered. "You'll be sent to the Soul Society, and afterlife of sorts."

"Like Heaven?" Shizuka asked with an innocence that brought a chocked sob from my throat. Ichigo smiled softly as the bottom of Zabimaru and Hyorinmaru's hilts began glowing.

"Something like that," Ichigo said as Toshiro pressed the hilt of his zanpakuto to Shizuka's forehead and Renji did the same to Kaname. Two black butterflies appeared in the spirits' places and drifted into the sky before disappearing.

"At least they'll be going together, so they won't be alone in the Soul Society," I murmured. The silence between the three Soul Reapers caused me to stare at each of them in turn. Each face was serious and Ichigo looked somewhat saddened. "That's not the case, is it?"

"No," Toshiro answered. "The likelihood of them even meeting again is slim to none."

"So they _will_ be alone."

"Not necessarily," Renji answered. "It depends on what area they go to and who they meet. Don't worry about them. Right now, we need to move on to the next set of Hollows." I nodded slowly, rubbing my eyes again.

"Right. Sorry. Let's go."

"If you need to, go home," Toshiro said and I shook my head.

"No. I'm fine."


	28. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

* * *

Toshiro, Renji and I all walked home that evening after taking out what seemed like a hundred Hollows. There hadn't been one Arrancar yet, though. We were all battered and bruised, but not bad when all things were considered. As soon as we had entered the house, I locked the door and turned to Renji and Toshiro.

"Go get your gigais and I'll make something to eat," I said and walked into the kitchen. As I searched the room for something quick and easy to cook, my eyes fell on a frozen pizza in the freezer. With a shrug of my shoulders, I preheated the oven and began cooking it. Toshiro and Renji entered the kitchen twenty minutes later, just as the pizza was finished.

"Is something wrong?" Toshiro asked, staring at me.

"I'm okay. Why?"

"You're pale."

"Just tired, that's all," I answered, grabbing a slice of pizza for myself and setting the platter in front of Toshiro and Renji for them to help themselves. The two of them began talking to each other about the days events, noting how odd the influx of Hollows had been.

"There weren't any Arrancar and the Hollows sent were hardly a challenge," Renji mumbled. "It doesn't make any sense."

"There's no way of knowing what Aizen is planning," Toshiro answered.

I simply stared at my half-eaten pizza in silence as I listened to them. As they continued talking, I got a bad taste in my mouth and set my slice down on a paper plate. My mind had drifted to the day's fights and the brutality of that fighting. I'd never actually faced Hollows before, only trained with Soul Reapers. It was certainly a very different experience. Added to that was the poor souls. Kaname and Shizuka weren't the only ones that day and my stomach churned.

I covered my mouth and ran out of the kitchen, barely making it to the bathroom before becoming sick. As I leaned over the toilet, someone pulled my hair out of the way and gently rubbed my back. I flushed the toilet and leaned against the wall, realizing Toshiro had been the one to hold my hair back for me. He let go and stood over me as Renji came in with a small glass of water. I took it with shaky hands and took a small sip.

"You alright?" Renji asked.

"I think so," I murmured. "Sorry, I must look pathetic to you two."

"It's a common reaction after doing something like what you did today for the first time. It happens to everyone."

"Did it happen to you?"

"I had a rough upbringing and I'm a natural fighter. You shouldn't try to compare your first fight to mine." I nodded, drinking more water.

"Who were the first two," Toshiro asked after a moment.

"Kaname and Shizuka. Kaname was a client of mine, but you never met him. I was so close to breaking through with him. Now, not only has his life been cut short, but his seven-year-old sister. He really loved her, you know. He took care of her in the same way I took care of you, Toshiro," I explained, tears falling from my eyes and into the water glass. Toshiro glanced away for a brief moment before offering me a small smile.

"You're doing better than most people I've seen," he said.

"Really?"

"Most would've had this reaction after the first fight. You lasted the full day." I smiled lightly, proud of myself in that respect.

"What happened to the other Hollows? Did Rukia, Uryuu, Rangiku and Chad take care of them?"

"More or less," Renji answered. "We actually fought a good amount of them today."

"What happens to Hollows when they are killed?"

"Don't worry about it. Just worry about holding down the rest of that pizza." I chuckled and lightly elbowed Renji's shin, as he was still standing.

"You're too blunt for your own good sometimes, Renji."

"You should rest," Toshiro suggested and I nodded, slowly standing before making my way to my room. The day's events took their toll on me and I was asleep only minutes after lying down.


	29. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

* * *

Seated around the table at Kisuke's shop, the increasingly large group of friends I've made met to discuss recent events. It was a status check, simply put. Renji and Toshiro had explained everything about our fights, briefly mentioning Kaname and Shizuka. My hands clenched into fists in my lap as I thought of their untimely end. It wasn't fair, for them to die because of something they couldn't even attempt to stop. Ichigo seemed less than pleased with what had happened, though he was behaving more professionally than me. I had been struggling to hold back my tears throughout the meeting.

"Do you have anything to add, Miss Kitamura?" Kisuke asked. I looked up from my lap and shook my head.

"No. It's just as they said. Everyone who had been attacked was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time," I answered, clearing my throat to keep from choking up.

"How're you feeling?" Chad asked.

"I've been fine. I'll feel better when this is all over."

"You know, killing Aizen won't stop Hollows from coming," Kisuke pointed out.

"But it'll make the amount coming into this world drop, right? I mean, they've been getting through so easily _because _of Aizen. Isn't that right?"

"Yes and no. While the rate at which they appear will most likely decrease, there's no guarantee that the Soul Reapers will be able to catch them early on every time."

"I thought Hollows primarily attacked souls. They've been going after human recently. Does Aizen have anything to do with that?"

"We don't know for certain."

"Well, what _do_ we know? I'd like to think this is all worth something."

"We'll be saving a lot of people," Ichigo said. "Aizen wants to use this town, killing everyone in it."

"Why?" I asked.

"So he can create the King's Key," Kisuke answered. "He tried it ten years ago, but was forced to retreat."

"That's terrible! What could possible be so important that he would kill thousands of people for?"

"He's a sick bastard," Ichigo muttered.

"So now you see why this is so important. We're trying to make sure the deaths of people like that client of yours aren't in vain," Kisuke explained.

"Speaking of your clients, aren't you supposed to meet that punk kid?" Renji asked. I glanced at my watch quickly and stood.

"Tsume! I almost forgot. Renji and Toshiro, I'll meet you back at the house," I said and, before I could stop myself, ruffled Toshiro's hair out of habit. When I realized what I was doing, I quickly pulled my hand away. Toshiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair, but he didn't seem angry with me.

"Be careful, Minako," he said and I smiled. I was the only person in our group that he addressed by first name, which made me feel good.

"I always am," I answered and ran out of the room, slipping on my shoes at the door.

I found Tsume waiting outside the building I worked in. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his sweatshirt and he had a content smile on his face. It was mid-autumn and a light chill could be felt in the air. This was Tsume's favorite time of the year, if I remembered correctly. As I neared, he turned towards me. In and instant, his face fell.

"Minako!" he screamed, running forward.

I stopped where I was and turned to look behind me, just in time to see a man with bone coating the entire left side of his face. A red beam of light shone in my peripheral vision and everything around me seemed to slow down. I was pushed to the ground, but not before I felt the sensation of my right hip being torn to shreds. I screamed out as I hit the cement, knocking my head on the ground. Tsume landed on me, but quickly stood, a scowl on his lips. When I forced myself to sit up, my him screaming in protest and my head pounding, I saw another familiar face. The one who had attacked me was the first Arrancar I saw: Number 85.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the Arrancar Tsume was about to fight. Panic raced through me, causing my head to pound harder and the wound in my hip to sear even more. I cautiously glanced down to see that a hole had nearly been shot through me and I was bleeding copiously. It was only a matter of time before I passed out or died. Without another thought, I used my hands to apply pressure to my wound, sending more pain ripping through me.

"I'm back, _querida_, and you won't be getting away this time," the Arrancar said smugly. Tsume pulled his gray sweatshirt off and threw it to me.

"Use that," he mumbled before turning his attention to the Arrancar. "Who the _hell_ are you?" I used Tsume's sweatshirt to cover my hip, applying more pressure. The Arrancar chuckled cruelly.

"You humans always ask the same questions: 'Who are you? What do you want? Why are you killing me?' If you simply _must_ know, my name is Silvino. For the next question you'll likely ask, I'm here to kill that woman and anyone who stands in my way. ¿_Por qué_? Because I was ordered to." My heart dropped for a moment and I knew I couldn't let Tsume end up like Kaname and Shizuka.

"Tsume, run! Get out of here, now!" I yelled frantically.

"You'd do well to listen to her, _niño._"

"Please, Tsume, don't do this."

"Shut up," he answered softly. "I'm not going to leave you to die."

In a flash, he extended his hand and claws of energy flew at Silvino. The Arrancar disappeared before they could hit him and I was reminded of the Soul Reapers' flash step. In the next instant, I felt a hand crash down on my collar bone and heard a distinct _crack_ as a sharp pain erupted from the point of contact. I screamed until my throat was hoarse as Tsume tried to tackle the Arrancar to the ground. Never before had I been in such pain or felt such heart-gripping fear. I believed I was truly going to die there, outside of my office. Without my control, a powerful shockwave erupted in all directions, knocking the Arrancar off balance, but otherwise unaffecting him. I was shocked. That had been the strongest attack I'd ever released and it barely moved him. Just how powerful was Silvino?

I began to feel lightheaded immediately after and vaguely realized that my hands were soaked in my own blood. Tsume continued to attack Silvino angrily, but I couldn't focus on the fight with stars dancing in my vision. I fell backwards, hitting my head on the sidewalk once again and I could feel my consciousness slipping.

"Minako!" a faraway voice yelled. I hazily recognized it as Toboe's. I knew he wouldn't see Silvino, but he'd see Tsume attacking air. What would he think of that? A pair of hands grabbed my shoulders, causing me to cry out as my broken clavicle was jostled. I couldn't open my eyes, though, as I slowly faded. Finally, all sound disappeared and everything went black.


	30. Chapter 29

**This is the final chapter I will be able to post for "In My Heart". I hope those of you who have stuck around to read it have enjoyed it for as long as it lasted.**

**For the final time in this story, **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only own the OCs.**

* * *

"Aizen's going to pay for this," a familiar voice growled. "I'll kill him myself." It was Toshiro's voice. How had he found me? Was I dead and being transported to the Soul Society?

"Just make sure to let me take a crack at him too," another male voice, Renji, added. It sounded as though he was speaking through clenched teeth. I could tell they were angry.

"That guy nearly killed her." This time it was Tsume. It was then I felt warmth washing over me and a slight discomfort as something shifted inside.

"Well, at least _he's_ been taken care of," Ichigo answered.

"It's a good thing you found her in time," Orihime said. She sounded nearest me. With a soft groan, I forced my eyes to slowly open, only to be blinded by a bright, orange light. I scowled and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Minako?" someone asked. It was Ichigo again.

"Am I dead?" I asked weakly. My voice was groggy and my words slurred. Someone chuckled, though I couldn't recognize who.

"Damn near. How're you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a bus."

I cracked my eyes open again and was able to see the source of the bright light around me. Orihime was sitting beside me, healing my wounds. Toshiro, Renji and Ichigo were gathered around me as well, all in their Soul Reaper uniforms. Tsume stood a little farther back, holding his arm. They all looked relieved to see me conscious.

"We almost lost you," Tsume said. "Mr. Hamato freaked out when you lost consciousness."

"How _is_ Tsume? Was he hurt by that Arrancar? What does the think of the whole situation?" I asked frantically.

"Calm down," Renji answered. "He's not hurt and he doesn't even remember what happened. Rukia exchanged his memory."

"She… did what?"

"He doesn't know what happened. For all he remembers, you _were_ hit by a bus."

"Or something too farfetched to be believable to anyone else," Ichigo muttered. I shook my head slowly, not bothering to try and understand. My head still hurt from before.

"What about Silvino?" I asked.

"Dead," Renji answered simply. "We made sure of that."

"You're lucky Tsume was there," Toshiro said. "If he hadn't pushed you away from the first attack, you would've been dead. He was able to distract the Arrancar long enough for us to get to you."

"Tsume, how are you?" I asked.

"A little beat up, but no worse for wear," he answered with a smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help. Even my strongest attack did nothing to him."

"We kind of expected that," Ichigo answered.

"Huh?"

"None of us really thought you could handle an Arrancar on your own. Not at this point, at least. You'd need a lot more training."

"So, I'm worthless is what you're telling me?"

"Not at all. Your strength just doesn't lie in attacking Arrancar directly."

"Then how could I help if Aizen will be sending Arrancar after us?"

"When he finally comes himself, there's a good chance he may bring an army of Hollows with him, or weaker Arrancar," Renji answered. "You can take out multiple Hollows at once, if you're angry enough." Toshiro scowled and stood abruptly, leaving the room. I stared after him and heard a couple of the others sigh.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"He's worried about you," Ichigo answered.

"Really?"

"You're his sister. He may be back to his old self, but he formed a bond with you in the past ten years. Nothing can erase that."

Toshiro sat outside the door to Kisuke Urahara's shop, just beneath the overhang. He stared out at the darkening sky, the scowl still tugging at his lips. The door opened from behind and he turned to see his lieutenant nearing.

"What is it, Matsumoto?" he asked, turning his attention back to the setting sun.

"Minako's expected to make a full recovery," she answered, wrapping one arm under her bust to hold her opposite arm.

"I know." Silence remained between them for a few moments as the sun fully set. A cool breeze brushed by, causing goosebumps to rise on Matsumoto's skin. She sighed softly.

"We're going to put an end to Aizen this time around."

"But will she live long enough for it? Aizen's going to be attacking more. It's only a matter of time before he comes."

"She was able to raise you, Captain. She's a strong woman."

"I fear she won't be strong _enough_."

* * *

**I would like to apologize to all of you who were looking forward to an end to this story. Unfortunately, I simply did not have enough planned out for this story to reach completion. In order for me to finish this fanfiction, I would have to write a 'final battle' even better than what is currently going on in the manga, and I'm simply not skilled enough for that. I HATE when people say "I'm not finishing, but this is what happens in the end", but I feel as though I'm forced to do so. It'll give you an idea of how poorly I planned this, though.**

**Basically, they were going to win the big battle. I didn't know how or any of the details, I just planned for victory. In the end, Toshiro would have to go back to the Soul Society and Minako would say something about how she felt like she was losing her little brother. Then, I'd have a cute brother-sister moment in which Toshiro told her "You'll never really lose me", like he had when he was a child.**

**Lame, but cutesy ending, I know. So, again, I am sorry for not finishing this story, but this is truly as far as I was able to go. **

**I hope you all enjoyed it while it lasted and if you liked this, you may like "A Rose That Won't Bloom". That one is completely written and updated on a regular basis.**

**With that, I say goodbye and thank you all for reading as far as you did. :)**


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